


(un)requited

by choerryonce



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Best Friends to Lovers, F/M, OR IS IT, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love, aged up characters (it's just hazel and nico aged up like a year or two), and they’re not demigods looooool, because i attribute their neurodivergency to being demigods, btw everyone is written as neurotypical, but we love him, except it's basically just minor solangelo coffee shop au, except it's super minor cuz i know nothing about swimming, i rly need to stop adding tags, idk if it counts as a slow burn, percabeth is otp fight me, percy is a fucking idiot, roomate au, swimmer!percy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26973079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choerryonce/pseuds/choerryonce
Summary: "And you have a spare bedroom, and I... can I move in with you?" Annabeth could hear the pleading in his voice, the genuine need in his tone. She would bet anything that he was making the trademark Seaweed Brain-puppy-eyes over the end at that moment. A bit of dread panged in her stomach, and a small part of her knew that this would likely end poorly. A recipe for disaster. It was not a smart idea, and Annabeth prided herself on her smarts. But Percy needed her, and as his best friend, she had to be there for him.--or: percabeth roomate/soulmate/college unrequited love au
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase & Piper McLean, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan/Annabeth Chase, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Rachel Elizabeth Dare/Percy Jackson, basically just all the canon ships, but percabeth is otp
Comments: 24
Kudos: 95





	1. annabeth makes a stupid decision

**Author's Note:**

> A / N: Hello everyone! It wouldn't be a margot fic without an unnecessarily long A/N. I will try to keep the author's notes to a minimum for this fic, however, since there will be so many chapters. Welcome to this mess! This fic has been in planning and outlining for literal months so I am super excited to post it to my various accounts. Percabeth is my main OTP and so they deserved a longer fic. This fic is extremely self-indulgent - it basically combines all of my favorite aus into one story. It's also been way overdone in the pjo fandom, but I hope it'll be enjoyable nonetheless!
> 
> also another note: this story does deal with mentions of stress, heavy workloads, and implied mental health struggles. every character in this story is also written as neurotypical. i attribute the characters' neurodivergency (in canon) to their being demigods, and as they are not demigods, i wrote them as neurotypical. i am also not neurodivergent myself, so i wouldn't want to tell that story. 
> 
> it also portrays an unhealthy relationship (not abusive). 
> 
> enjoy!
> 
> \- margot

“Can I move in with you?” A familiar voice - Percy’s - rang out clear from the opposite end of the line. Annabeth’s body tensed, muscles seizing up in a minor panic. A small patch of skin on her left thigh seemed to burn, even though an air conditioning unit blasted from the adjacent end of the room, Piper having turned it down an uncomfortable amount. A million thoughts began racing through her mind. Mainly panic. A fair amount of panic. But Percy was her best friend. He always had been. They had been best friends since that day in kindergarten when a small, black-haired boy had come up to her and nearly burst into tears when she said he couldn’t have the blue crayon. Even Annabeth, with her determination and obstinacy, rarely was able to resist Percy. 

“Um…” She fumbled for words, waging a battle with herself in her head over what to respond with. She fiddled with the hem of her shorts, picking at a loose thread that had come undone. 

“It’s just, Estelle has started growing - how weird is that, by the way? I like actually have a functioning human sister now and not just a baby blob - and so she needs my room. Also, I’m starting to feel a bit caged in with Mom and Paul here all the time. I mean, I love them, but I’m 21 and just-” 

“Percy-” He was speaking incredibly fast, clearly stumbling over reasons and hoping she would say yes. 

“And you have a spare bedroom, and I… can I move in with you?” Annabeth could hear the pleading in his voice, the genuine need in his tone. She would bet anything that he was making the trademark Seaweed Brain-puppy-eyes over the end at that moment. A bit of dread panged in her stomach, and a small part of her knew that this would likely end poorly. A recipe for disaster. It was not a smart idea, and Annabeth prided herself on her smarts. But Percy needed her, and as his best friend, she had to be there for him. 

“Sure!” Annabeth shook her head in embarrassment and regret, the overly-excited tone coming out unnatural and artificial when she said it. Piper gave her a perplexed look from across the couch. Annabeth flung out a hand in Piper’s direction, attempting to tell her not to ask. Piper seemed to understand, slightly rolling her eyes before rising from the couch to go presumably raid the fridge. “Yeah, that should be ok,” Annabeth said, editing her previous statement in a more naturally Annabeth-like manner. 

“Oh thank God, Wise Girl. You’re the best.”

“That I am. The bedroom is ready pretty much anytime, but you might have to deal with a very grumpy Piper occasionally.”

“Is Pipes there? Tell her I say hi!”

“Will do.” A few seconds of silence passed.

“Can I move in at the end of the week?”

“Works for me.” 

“Thanks so much, Annabeth. Okay, Mom’s calling. Love you, bye!”

“Love you too, Seaweed Brain.” Tears threatened to prick at the corners of her eyes. Those words carried such a weight with them, and he was completely unaware. She hung up the phone, and set the small device on the worn-out coffee table, littered with stains and scratches from her few years living in that apartment. It had become home to her, though she never thought it would. And now Percy would live there… she didn’t know how to feel about that. 

Percy and Annabeth first met in kindergarten, as you know. Oddly enough, they were inseparable for nearly all their school years. Annabeth didn’t know why, but there was something about him that made her want to spend every second with him. In the early years, they kept from each other nothing - that would later change, due mainly to a…. development on Annabeth’s end of their relationship.

The day that their marks had arrived, she eagerly showed him, ecstatic to have a blue mark, establishing their deep friendship. The letters PJ had appeared bright blue on her left thigh that day, and she knew they were in for the long haul. He had the same - save for the difference in initials; he had AC - although Annabeth couldn’t recall ever seeing his mark with her own eyes. His marks were etched on his inner forearm and usually were concealed by a band. He said it was for privacy, and she respected that. Many covered theirs - in fact, it was a bit rare to see someone’s marks if you weren’t a close friend or relative. 

They’d grown up together. She’d watched him turn from a friendly kid to a compassionate young man, willing to do anything for his friends and family. She would often wonder how she got so lucky as to have a best friend like him. Her first friend, her forever friend. She was headstrong and stubborn, always trying to prove a point, not caring if she failed to make friends in the process, as long as she was right. He was the opposite, dorky and not book-smart, friends with everyone, but he chose her as his best friend. How did that come to happen?

She played her fingers across her left thigh, running over the marks that lay there. She had 6: two blue, one for PJ (Percy), and one for PM (Piper), blue symbolizing friendship. The only others she had were 4 yellow marks symbolizing family: MC, MC, BC, and FC. Her cousin Magnus, who she’d loved to hang out with as children; her younger twin half-brothers Matthew and Bobby, who she’d grown to love even if their mother was wicked; and her father, Frederick. After her stepmother had waltzed into her life, with an immediate dislike for Annabeth and everything she represented, Annabeth’s relationship with her father quickly deteriorated. The most painful part was that Annabeth could tell he genuinely loved her stepmother, the devotion and happiness in his eyes told her everything.

He tried to fix their relationship. Sincerely tried, and it partly worked. If it hadn’t, the yellow mark would be gone from her leg, a wisp of her past. But she realized she needed at least one parent. After her mom died when she was a mere infant, Annabeth couldn’t rely on Percy to be her whole family. She needed a parent, and so she mended the ghost of a loving, familial relationship with her father, and the yellow mark that had begun to fade became vibrant once again. 

She was shaken out of her reminiscence by Piper’s curious tone. “What was that about?” she asked, strolling over to the couch and plopping down on it, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and spoon in hand.

“What do you mean?” Annabeth feigned innocence, knowing exactly what Piper was talking about.

Piper took a bite of the rich dessert. “You acted all weird, and your voice got super high pitched. You sounded like some of the girls we went to high school with.” 

Ah, high school. Once Annabeth and Percy transferred to Goode High School for their remaining years before college, they were still inseparable - but got their own friends on the side as well. Percy became close friends with Frank Zhang and Leo Valdez, and Annabeth met Piper McLean. The two girls were initially very different, Annabeth assuming Piper was the stereotypical girly girl with her mesmerizing eyes and luscious brown hair, practically asking for the boys to fawn over her. 

But Annabeth quickly learned that Piper didn’t give two shits about that stuff and was more similar to Annabeth than she would have ever imagined. Plus, Annabeth needed a female friend to discuss things with, especially because of the aforementioned development. She never actually told Piper just what that development was, but needed to get away from Percy sometimes.

Annabeth stole the pint and utensil from Piper’s grasp, throwing her a dirty glance. That was one of Piper’s favorite pastimes: raiding Annabeth’s fridge. She was affluent, her father being a famous movie star, but Piper hadn’t mastered the art of buying sufficient sustenance for herself yet, and thus loved to eat Annabeth’s food - since Annabeth actually knew how to grocery shop. “Oh, it was nothing. Percy says hi, by the way.”

“That was Percy?”

“Yes, you idiot, you were in the room when we started talking.”

“Strange, guess I must’ve tuned it out.”

Annabeth ate a bite of the ice cream. It was flavored with chocolate and berries - her favorite. “You tune out anything uninteresting to you.”

“You’re right, of course, but that’s not the point. What did Percy want?” 

“He’s gonna move in with me. Estelle needs his room at home.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I would have expected you to be more distraught, seeing as this means you can’t crash in my spare room anymore.”

“Right. Shit. Maybe I’ll just move in with Jason.”

“You know you have your own apartment, right?”

“Yes, but it’s so lonely there!” Piper said dramatically, dragging out the “o” in lonely, flinging her hand over her forehead like a damsel in distress.

“The drama department is lucky to have you as an acting major,” Annabeth remarked, tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Damn right they are,” Piper’s phone rang out, and she picked it up. “Jason!” She walked away, disappearing from Annabeth’s view, leaving her with just her thoughts for company, a very dangerous idea. 

Why had she agreed to this? Her life was going to get so much harder. She’d had a hard enough time in recent years, and now she’d be around Percy so much more. Of course, they were best friends, and so spending time with him wasn’t the issue. It was the hours and hours with him, just the two of them, huddled up together in this small apartment she’d barely been able to afford. 

Now, dear reader, you are no doubt wondering what this mysterious ‘development’ is. Well, it’s fairly simple. Funny how the simplest things are often the most life-changing. In Annabeth Chase’s sophomore year of high school, she fell in love with Percy Jackson. She became a living cliche. She had probably been in love with him for years prior and only realized it at the wise old age of 16 - a perfect time to make life-altering decisions. Truth be told, Annabeth was a bit of a romantic. She’d lost hope in love after her mother had died and her stepmother came into her life, but a small part of her had secretly harbored a love for the concept of true love and soulmates. 

She dreamed of getting a red mark, symbolizing her soulmate. And, even more ironically, she had always loved the “in unrequited love with best friend” trope, but now, her life had become a trashy romance novel. And every day, she would wake up, and see that blue PJ on her thigh, a constant reminder of the goofy dork she unwittingly loved who would never love her back.

Love could be cruel and unflinchingly heartless, or indescribably perfect. It changed your world either way.

\-------- 

A few days after Percy had called and Annabeth had made what she was beginning to think was one of the biggest mistakes of her life, Annabeth decided to stop by Cafe Demeter. 

Cafe Demeter was a small coffee shop a few blocks north of campus and had become somewhat of a hangout spot for what was sometimes referred to as “the gang:” Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Jason Grace, Frank, Leo, and Hazel Levesque. Jason was Piper’s boyfriend of 2 years and lived off-campus by himself. Piper was often caught there - so often that Annabeth sometimes wondered if she ever actually stayed at her own apartment, what with crashing at Annabeth’s place as well. After 7 years of friendship, Annabeth had learned not to ponder over Piper’s decisions too much: they were often strange and inexplicable. Jason was nice, if a bit boring, but Piper was really happy with him, and so Annabeth liked him. He was also, oddly enough, Percy’s cousin. He had a pretty rough home life since his dad was out of the picture, and so Percy and Annabeth rarely ever saw him as children. 

Hazel was also one of Percy’s cousins and was a freshman. She and Percy saw each other often as kids and formed a deep friendship, but Annabeth never quite became friends with her. She was also a barista at Cafe Demeter. Hazel had an older brother named Nico di Angelo, who was a sophomore. He was fairly dark and brooding, perhaps too much so for Annabeth’s taste. Nico never really hung out with “the gang” but was spotted occasionally hanging around Hazel. He was friends with Percy since they were cousins but never became too close with anyone else in the group.

Cafe Demeter’s aesthetic was based entirely off of, well, Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest and agriculture, and in Annabeth’s opinion, encapsulated everything Demeter should represent.

It was small, meant to feel like a cozy cottage, with plants everywhere. There wasn’t a section of the store that didn’t have some sort of vine, shrub, or flower filling the space. Cracks in the tiled roof were filled with small periwinkle flowers and rich green leaves, making what could have been an otherwise dull exterior into something beautiful. It always smelled heavenly, the near intoxicating aroma of coffee and baked goods wafting throughout the shop. Bags of different types of coffee beans lined the walls, ready for scooping if you bought your beans whole. It stuck out from all the buildings around it, but in an inviting way that made you naturally drawn to it. It was painted a light, pastel shade of green, with a heavy wooden door that had bells that chimed when you swung it open. 

There were booths and chairs, tables, and counters. Vintage Italian coffee machines covered the back wall, and rows of baked goods lay on the counters, a loaf of freshly baked bread always set out next to an ever-brewing pot of tea. Annabeth was nearly certain that it was her favorite thing about college - other than her studies, of course. She found it incredibly easy to focus when working there, whether it was writing a paper on her laptop or drawing blueprints and diagrams, her materials spread out wide on the wooden tables. Annabeth had always loved architecture and had known she wanted it to be her college major since middle school. She was a junior and was currently hoping to become her physics professor’s TA. 

And so, the semester had just started, and the slight chill in the September air cooled her skin. Equipped with her laptop, she was heading to the cafe to work on an introductory assignment, laying out her goals and strengths for her new mathematics professor. She opened the large door with surprising difficulty and stepped inside the warm store. 

“Hey, Annabeth!” A young man not much older than herself waved to her from behind the counter. He was dressed in light jeans and a striped sweater, perfect for the weather. He had curly brown hair, coincidentally the shade of coffee, and a nametag that read “Grover.” Below that, it read “Manager.”

“Hey, Grover,” Annabeth responded, trying to match Grover’s enthusiasm but failing. 

“What can I do ya for?” 

“Just a black, please. Medium,” Annabeth took her coffee order very seriously. She knew everyone else desired sugar and frills, but she drank coffee to serve a practical purpose: it gave her the necessary boost of caffeine she needed to survive being an architecture student.

“The usual, I see,” Grover turned to the back and grabbed a mug with a pretty floral design from the shelf.

“Why so serious, Wise Girl?” Annabeth nearly jumped out of her skin from the voice that had come up behind her unexpectedly. She turned and saw Percy, looking perfect as always. He had been scrawny when they were kids, but puberty treated him well. He had tanned skin and unkempt black hair, always windswept to the side, making it look as if he’d just come from a stroll on the beach. His sea-green eyes pierced through the image, drawing her in just as they had always done. He wore a coat and jeans, regular marine biology major attire. Luckily, even though Annabeth was hopelessly in love with him, she still maintained the ability to talk to him.

“Some of us don’t need to be on a sugar high 24/7,” Grover handed her the steaming mug and she paid.

“Speak for yourself. Hey, man!” Percy and Grover performed their handshake - they’d come up with it when they were kids. Percy and Grover Underwood were best friends throughout elementary and middle school, and Annabeth got along with Grover, although their friendship didn’t run much deeper than casual companions. Once high school began, though, Percy and Grover’s time became limited and they saw less and less of each other. It was a helpful coincidence that Grover was manager of Cafe Demeter, and so in college, their friendship had bloomed anew.

“Vanilla latte?” Grover asked.

“You know me too well,” Annabeth faintly heard Percy say as she made her way over to her usual place, setting down her laptop and plugging her charging cable into an outlet on the side of the wall. She saw Percy joke with Grover for a few minutes while his coffee was being made, and allowed herself a few seconds of unabashed “swooning” time, as she sometimes put it. She stared at him, taking in his laugh and drinking a sip of her coffee. Perfect. 

She watched him walk over to the other end of the counter where a tall boy with blond hair and blue eyes as well as a younger girl with deep skin and curly hair waited, her golden eyes catching in the light streaming from one of several windows. Hazel. And the blond boy was Will, Annabeth thought, Will Solace. Another barista at the cafe. Percy chatted with them, Hazel rolling her eyes at one point and Percy giving her a pat on the back. Annabeth had always admired their sibling-like relationship since she had never had a sibling of her own. Percy was the closest thing she would get to a brother, but she was in love with him, and of course, siblings shouldn’t in love with each other.

Percy grabbed his latte and headed over towards Annabeth’s table. “Hey,” he said, waving to her. “Anything I should know about the place before I move in on Friday?”

“I don’t think so. My downstairs neighbor can lose her temper easily, though. She’s like a million years old, and hates it when I come downstairs before 7 am.”

Percy groaned. “That might be a bit of a problem, then. Coach now has practices starting at 6:30.”

“That early?”

“That’s not super early, you know. Besides, I like swimming.”

“You’re such a Seaweed Brain.”

“You’re even more of a Wise Girl.” The nicknames had been established as children, and while a bit immature for college juniors, they were endearing and had stuck. 

“I would hope so; you call me that all the time.”

“Only because it’s true.” Percy took a few sips and they sat there in amused silence before he began speaking again.

“You know Frank is taking photography as his elective?”

“Frank taking photography? It’s usually only Hazel in that class.”

“Exactly my point.”

“Oh… I see what you mean. They’ve been into each other since they first met. Maybe they’ll finally get it together and go out for once.”

“Not likely,” another voice said, different from either Annabeth or Percy’s. Annabeth saw the form of Leo Valdez come into view, a short, scruffy, Latino guy with curly brown hair and a mischievous smile. He smoothly pulled a chair up to the table and sat down. Annabeth vaguely saw Piper walk in after him. “They’ve been dancing around like the idiots they are for four years.”

Piper took a seat as well. “Of course they like each other, but maybe they don’t have each other’s soulmarks.” It was a valid question, one always raised when people were entering into a relationship.

Leo laughed as if he knew something they didn’t. “If Frank doesn’t have HL in red somewhere on him, I’ll give you my entire bank account, Pipes.”

Piper scoffed. “That’s literally three dollars.”

Leo got up from the table and grabbed his coffee from Grover. “Still counts!” he said as he waved and left the store.

Annabeth chuckled, and took another sip of her coffee. Percy did the same, purposefully mirroring the movement. Annabeth set her cup down and Percy set his own down as well in the exact same manner. Annabeth rested her hand on her chin. Percy copied her.

“Stop doing that!” Annabeth exclaimed, chuckling in annoyance.

“Stop doing that!” Percy repeated. Annabeth lightly swatted his shoulder. She could’ve sworn she saw Piper gave them a suspicious look, raising an eyebrow. Annabeth’s cheeks heated, and she feigned a cough, covering her face in the process. 

“You two are sickening,” Piper said. Annabeth coughed and had half a mind to ask “In what way?” but decided better of it and just let Percy laugh it off enough for the both of them.

Thankfully saving her from any lingering awkwardness, Percy swiped his coffee from the table and exited the store, waving goodbye to Annabeth, Piper, and Grover. 

After a few seconds, Annabeth came to her senses. What was she doing? She cringed inwardly, shoulders slightly hunching over and wincing in embarrassment. Annabeth had never been the kind of person to cheesily flirt with someone, but looking back on that interaction, that was exactly what she had done. They must be awful for other people to watch. But the flirting was meaningless, she supposed, because they did not share soulmarks, and both she and Percy had expressed their fascination with the idea of them. Percy would find his soulmate someday and she would be amazing, and Annabeth would find hers. It would all work out, find some way to come together. Right?

Piper turned slowly to her with an amused smirk on her face. 

“Shut up,” Annabeth said. Even though Annabeth had never told Piper of her secret, she knew that Piper held her suspicions. It had become (annoying) commonplace for Piper to point out every conspicuous interaction between Percy and Annabeth. 

“And go away, I have shit to get done,” Annabeth said. Piper, being the smart girl she was, decided to leave and find another table.

In any case, Annabeth was tired and had an astounding amount of work to do. The anxiety of Percy moving in with her had been slowly building over the past days, and she needed to take a break and channel her energy into something productive. Luckily for architecture majors, they were almost always studying. Some of her friends from her classes barely slept. 

And so she straightened her skirt, pulled her sweater more tightly around her, and opened her laptop. She drained the last gulps of her coffee and pulled up the aforementioned assignment. Time to get to work.

\--------

4:30. Percy was coming at 4:30.

Annabeth had had classes from 8 am through 1 pm, and only allowed herself “freak out time” after she’d finished her schoolwork because if Annabeth Chase had one thing, it was priorities. 

But now she was in freak out mode. Hard. What are you even supposed to feel when your best friend who you’re secretly in love with is moving in with you for the foreseeable future? What? This was straight out of some of the strange fanfictions Annabeth and Piper had read in middle school. 

Annabeth had spent the rest of the day futzing around the house. Of course, she didn’t care too much about how it looked - one of the things Annabeth was grateful for when it came to being in love with her childhood best friend is that she often didn’t care about her appearance. She and Percy had seen each other in so many blackmail-photo-ready instances that it rarely made a difference. But she felt as if she needed to do something to occupy her time, and so she did the dishes, ran her laundry, and reorganized her bookshelves for what felt like the millionth time (Annabeth was very proud of her bookshelves and would rarely let anyone near them). She was incapable of deciding whether to split them by author, genre, or color and frequently ended up with a jumbled mess only she knew how to navigate.

She knew it was going to be difficult, living with Percy - at least at first. Maybe it would get better. Maybe she’d discover all his strange habits and fall out of love with him. Maybe she’d realize it had been an odd infatuation all along. Maybe she’d find her soulmate along the way. 

She plucked a book she’d read before from the shelf and sat on the couch, flipping to a random page and picking up the story. She read it and yet felt as if she was absorbing no information. The scenes didn’t play out in her head like they typically would. The characters seemed dull. She recognized this feeling - it was the same one she always got before sitting an important exam. She willed herself to focus on the story, lose herself in seemingly endless pages. Reading had always been Annabeth’s biggest comfort in life. As long as she had a book, she felt unstoppable.

A minute, or maybe several hours later, the doorbell rang. Annabeth shot up and put the book down. She hastily put on a pair of house slippers and made for the door. 

And when she saw that goofy smile, those beautiful sea-green eyes, and a few suitcases piled around his feet, all of Annabeth’s worries melted away as she stared into Percy’s eyes. That was the reason she’d fallen in love with him. Annabeth’s life had never been easy, and Percy had always been there. He could ground her in any situation. They were in it together, soulmates be damned. 

And when he chuckled and introduced his suitcases (whose names were “Bessie” and “Blackjack,” if you’re wondering - Percy had a habit of naming inanimate objects), and stepped into ~~her~~ their apartment, Annabeth’s eyes never leaving his-

She could have sworn she felt a faint prickle on her left thigh.


	2. wow, thanks universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! it's me again. i apologize if these beginning chapters feel super exposition-y, the actual plot will get going soon!
> 
> i also want to thank everyone who has commented, left kudos, subscribed, or even just checked out this story! thank you all! kudos, subscriptions, and comments really motivate me to write more, and i didn't expect so much on just the first chapter. 
> 
> and as an extra (but very important) note: if you are old enough and live in the usa, please please please vote! i am not old enough to vote, but if you are, it's so vital that you do. get registered, request an absentee ballot, find your local polling place, etc. it's so important that we do everything we can to try to keep a democracy - a government where the people have a say. vote! 
> 
> \- margot

“Should we go grocery shopping tomorrow?” Annabeth said, looking over at Percy. The fridge stood open before her, looking depressingly empty - the only things in it were half-full Chinese food containers, a couple of cans of seltzer (Percy had long harbored a weird obsession with the drink), and a jar of peanut butter. It was a sad sight.

“Yes,” Percy answered, sitting up from the couch and running a hand through his hair. “Then I can actually cook for you.”

“I’ve never seen the merit in cooking,” Annabeth let go of the door and it swung shut with a slight _thump_. 

__“You’ve never eaten _my_ cooking, though,” Percy said in response, grabbing his laptop off the counter. Percy’s mother had taken it upon herself to teach her son how to cook basic meals starting in high school, and although Percy did not enjoy the process at first, his skills had come in handy a surprising amount. Teenagers are truly awful at providing for themselves. Percy liked being able to cook, and he could eat healthy meals during college instead of always ordering takeout or living off ramen.__

____“At least I can grocery shop,” Annabeth said, smirking slightly. That was not in Percy’s skill set - he got too easily distracted while at the store and it took him several hours to buy anything at all. But Annabeth had some weird ability to find what she needed quickly and leave the grocery store in record time. The issue was that she never knew what to do with the groceries. Percy had sometimes witnessed her cooking fails and did not want to eat any of her creations again._ _ _ _

____“True, you have that.” Percy yawned. It was 9 am, and he had gotten back from swimming just under an hour ago. He was up late deciding on an elective, finally settling on art. He told himself that it was a good chance to expand his horizons, but in actuality, it was the only class with a spot left._ _ _ _

____“My classes end at 2, and I should need about three hours for homework, so leave at 5:30?”_ _ _ _

____“Annabeth, it’s Friday. You have all weekend to do your work,” Percy said exasperatedly._ _ _ _

____Annabeth threw him an annoyed look. “When have I ever waited to do homework? Besides, you know architecture majors can never catch a break.”_ _ _ _

____“I just wish you’d cut yourself some slack sometimes,” Percy said concernedly. Percy had watched Annabeth put herself completely into her work ever since middle school, and had seen her break down before. Her brain was wired to want to work, Percy supposed (he couldn’t understand that concept), but he often worried that she’d burn out. And it was so early in the year._ _ _ _

____“I’ll be okay, Percy.” Annabeth put a tentative hand on his shoulder. Percy smiled at the contact, face heating a tad. Annabeth had always done that to him - if she touched him or made jokes it made his heart (and face occasionally) feel warm. She sometimes caught his eye from across the room, and he could only stare back into hers. Percy decided it was from their long-lasting friendship, even though some part of him wondered if it had to do with the mark on his inner forearm._ _ _ _

____He watched her walk into her room, taking a swig from a seltzer as she did so, blonde curls tumbling down her back. He smiled again, and went to his room, ready to work on an assignment (read: procrastinate for an hour and then begrudgingly complete the work)._ _ _ _

____A few hours later, shortly before leaving to go with Annabeth, Percy prepared to cover his marks with a band. He took a second to study them first, running his eyes over ten sets of initials that lay there._ _ _ _

____You learn about the marks when you're a kid. They’re always somewhere on your body, sometimes on an inaccessible spot, and you have to use a mirror to view them. As a kid, there’s probably a few yellow ones, and then you gain more as you grow as a person. There are books on the different types of marks, what each of the colors symbolize. Yellow for family, blue for friendship, orange for enemies, green for first loves, and red, your soulmark. Soulmates._ _ _ _

____Red and green marks only appear after staring into someone’s eyes for the first time, and so some people never find their soulmate. They live without them, never knowing what they’re missing. Percy couldn’t relate to that._ _ _ _

____As you know, he had ten. SB, PB, and EB all in yellow - his mother Sally, stepfather Paul, and little sister Estelle. Percy’s biological father was a sailor and had been lost at sea when Percy was a baby. Percy rarely wanted a dad as a kid, his mom was enough for both of them. She truly was the most amazing woman he’d ever met, and Percy needed no one else. He warmed to Paul eventually, since he seemed like a cool guy and his mother was truly happy when he was around. And Estelle - Percy had never expected that being a big brother would be one of the best aspects of his life. That girl had Percy’s whole heart._ _ _ _

____Lots of blue marks: GB, JG, LV, FZ, HL, NDA. Grover, Jason, Leo, Frank, Hazel, Nico. It was a running joke (that Nico despised, mind you) that Nico’s initials were NDA since he was practically a walking non-disclosure agreement; if you were lucky enough to be a close friend of his, you never shared any of his secrets. Ever._ _ _ _

____Percy adored every one of his friends. They all held different places in his heart. Hazel was another little sister to him, Frank and Leo were his partners in crime in high school, and he and Jason had grown surprisingly close since starting college together. Even though Jason was an education major, and Percy was a marine biology major and a psychology minor, an odd number of their classes overlapped._ _ _ _

____There was, of course, one more friend that Percy had. You know her already. She and Percy were best friends - they even lived together. So where did Annabeth fit into this whole picture?_ _ _ _

____Welcome to the most confusing aspect of Percy Jackson’s life: his mark for the one and only Annabeth Chase. It had appeared early, and Percy, for some reason, never mentioned it. And when Annabeth came running to him that day and showed him her friendship mark for Percy, he’d decided not to mention it. It had to have been a fluke, a bizarre error in the universe’s system._ _ _ _

____Because it was red. Pure, bold red. Soulmark red. AC. The initials practically glared at him from their spot on his arm._ _ _ _

____He sighed, and, as always, grabbed his band from where it sat on his desk. A simple wrap to cover the marks. Many places sold “markwraps,” as they were known colloquially, and as soon as Percy realized what his soulmark meant, he’d invested in a few for himself. He even got a water-resistant one for swimming. He lied and said they were for privacy - it was a believable enough excuse. The truth was that he didn’t want anyone to see his mark for Annabeth, because it had to have been a mistake, and mistakes never happened._ _ _ _

____Percy had done a copious amount of research on soulmarks ever since learning he had Annabeth’s. Apparently, one-sided soulmarks did happen occasionally, but it was almost always when one of the people had died before their mark could turn red. Marks could turn different colors; many stories often told of someone with an enemies mark turning blue, and a strong friendship forming between the two people. But it was rare with soulmarks, almost no reported cases of an actual mistake - a false soulmark._ _ _ _

____But Annabeth had a friendship mark, and Percy didn’t like Annabeth (in that way), and so he chalked it up to some godly error that would fix at some point. He checked it daily to see if it turned blue._ _ _ _

____He rolled the fabric around his forearm, slowly watching the marks disappear._ _ _ _

____“You ready to go, Seaweed Brain?” Percy heard Annabeth shout from across the apartment. He stepped out of his room and found Annabeth waiting in the living room, folded piece of paper in hand - a shopping list. She wore a striped sweater and skinny jeans, hair tied back in a lengthy braid. She looked prettier than usual. It made something race in Percy’s heart._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, let’s go,” Percy said, making his way over to the door. Annabeth smiled and they left the apartment, setting off on a domestic escapade._ _ _ _

____\---------_ _ _ _

____“Ten more laps! Let’s keep it moving!” Coach yelled from the poolside. Swimming 25 laps on a Sunday morning was not exactly Percy’s idea of fun, but he persisted since swimming was one of his greatest passions - and pretty much the only thing keeping him through college. Percy was never known for his grades or academic acclaim, and so he got a swimming scholarship and went to study marine biology._ _ _ _

____After fifteen laps, Percy could feel the fatigue beginning to plague him. He was very nearly the team’s champion swimmer, although he did not care for any titles or fancy status. He was just a good swimmer and did what he had to do to win. He held most of the school’s records (except for the ones for the butterfly stroke, he HATED butterfly) and so he felt the constant pressure to maintain that reputation._ _ _ _

____Ten laps later, and his arms were beginning to feel like overcooked linguini. He’d been waking up at 6 am for practice for years, and yet it felt like he never fully adjusted to it. The shock of jumping into cold water was still there each time he entered the pool. The coach blew her whistle, and Percy made for the ladder at the end of the pool._ _ _ _

____“Jackson!” Coach yelled to him. Percy hopped out of the water, shaking his head to dry himself off (though only marginally), and removed his goggles, the world coming into sharper focus. He ran a hand through sopping wet hair and walked over to the coach. She was a tall, toned woman with an angry face and scraggly blonde hair that was tied back. A neon-orange whistle hung low around her neck and her usually tempered face softened into a slight smile when she saw Percy, her star player._ _ _ _

____“Yes, ma’am?” Percy asked her._ _ _ _

____“I need you to put in a bit more. You’re getting winded out there after only a few laps.”_ _ _ _

____“Sorry, Coach.”_ _ _ _

____“I don’t need “sorry”; I need you to work harder. I think you could have a real shot at this thing if you wanted to.”_ _ _ _

____“My schoolwork’s been piling up lately and I just-”_ _ _ _

____“No excuses, Jackson. You’re carrying this team. If we want to try for regionals in the spring, I need you to up your game.”_ _ _ _

____“I’ll make it happen, Coach.” Percy plastered a smile on his face, but his insides were bubbling with panic._ _ _ _

____“That’s what I like to hear. Now get over to the changing rooms, you’re dripping all over me.”_ _ _ _

____“Yes, ma’am.” Percy loosed a shaky breath and walked over to the changing rooms, the small bubble of panic growing in his chest._ _ _ _

____What he’d said had been true - his schoolwork was piling up, more and more work coming in from each of his courses as they got farther into the school year. It was nearly October, and now that he was taking advanced classes, the professors used that as an excuse to assign unreasonable amounts of homework. On top of Percy’s ADHD and dyslexia, this was not going to end well._ _ _ _

____Truth be told, Percy didn’t want to stay in college just for swimming. Sure, he enjoyed it, but he didn’t want it to be his career. Swimming was a nice escape from the realities of the world; when he competed, the whole world melted away, and it was just him, his heartbeat, and the water. But he wanted to be smart. It was tough, being best friends with Annabeth for all those years since she was consistently top of the class. Percy was personable and social but struggled with school. Percy admired Annabeth for constantly being at the top of her game even though she also struggled with ADHD and dyslexia - it was one of the things they were able to bond over when they were kids._ _ _ _

____He loved the water and going to beaches, and marine life. Marine biology was an obvious choice for his major. Against his better judgment he chose a minor as well, psychology, but the pure fascination Percy had with the material made up for the extra work needed to stay on top of his classes. He wanted to do something with what he was learning in school, but Coach didn’t appear to agree with his mentality._ _ _ _

____Percy pulled on his clothes and put all his gear and swimming supplies into his swim bag, a mini duffel that Annabeth had gifted him for his birthday when they were in high school together. It was difficult to see, but in small letters on the underside of the bag, the words “Seaweed Brain” were written. He looked at the monogram and smiled. It didn’t stop his anxiety from building, but it eased it a bit. God, what would he do without Annabeth?_ _ _ _

____\------_ _ _ _

____Percy returned to the apartment that morning to find a half-asleep, pajama-clad Annabeth gulping down a large mug of coffee, sitting on the floor with a hasty sketch of a blueprint in front of her. Rulers and pencils were scattered about, a sketchbook lay open next to her showing a drawing of the same thing sketched on the blueprint paper._ _ _ _

____“You okay, Wise Girl?” Percy said hesitantly, a look of concern washing over his face._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, just this stupid professor and her- can’t- Clarisse-” Annabeth drowned her stutters in another sip of coffee and tugged at a tangled lock of hair. Her stormy grey eyes were mixed with stress and sleep deprivation._ _ _ _

____“Annabeth, it’s Sunday. Go back to sleep.”_ _ _ _

____“No, I swear I’m fine-”_ _ _ _

____“You’re not. What are you even working on at 8:30 am on a weekend, anyway?”_ _ _ _

____“Side project…” she mumbled, her words quickly followed by a yawn._ _ _ _

____“Go back to sleep.” Percy closed her sketchbook and started gathering pencils and rulers, rolling up the blueprint. He helped Annabeth to her feet._ _ _ _

____“Fine.” Annabeth feigned an annoyed look but then smiled at him. She put the cup of coffee in the sink and started for her room._ _ _ _

____“I’ll make breakfast for us,” Percy said, the idea popping into his head._ _ _ _

____“Then I’ll get to try this famous Percy Jackson cooking I’ve heard so much about.”_ _ _ _

____“I’ll wake you up if I burn the house down,” Percy said seriously, opening the fridge and taking out a carton of eggs._ _ _ _

____“Oh, god, please don’t burn the house down!” Annabeth called after him as she walked to her room, back turned to him. Percy chuckled and got to cooking. It took his mind off the newfound stress in his life; he’d worry about assignments and deadlines later. Now, it was time for breakfast._ _ _ _

____As he was chopping onions and cracking eggs, measuring different ingredients and mixing them together, he had a chance to think about what life with Annabeth was like. If he was being honest, Percy hadn’t known what to expect when living with Annabeth. He had never really even stayed over at her house when they were kids, and so he was curious to see what it would be like. When his mom told him that Estelle needed his room and that he should probably move in with one of his friends, his first thought was Annabeth. His mind always went to Annabeth first, he’d realized over the years._ _ _ _

____She was a good roommate, he supposed, not having anyone else to compare her to. Annabeth could consistently do laundry, dishes, and grocery shop, but the apartment was usually a mess. Annabeth was incredibly smart, but apparently, those abilities didn’t extend to cleaning up after herself. Percy always hated seeing other people’s rooms/homes messy, and so when he first moved in, the place was noticeably nicer. But after just a few days, he was falling back into his old patterns, leaving his things everywhere, half-drunk cans of seltzer littering his desk. He’d already misplaced his keys not once, but three times._ _ _ _

____It was different from living at home, that was for sure. His mom tried to pretend like he needed to clean up after himself, but he never did. Percy had long regretted never developing that skill, and so was mildly excited to take the challenge when moving in with Annabeth. Annabeth had her share of messiness, and so Percy had to learn how to take care of himself. He was still working on that._ _ _ _

____But Annabeth’s personality made up for her sloppiness. When they were kids, Annabeth had a habit of being very blunt (and often rude) to make her point. Percy had often felt that he was too much of a pushover, and, although they would both realize later in life that some of Annabeth’s personality traits at that point were not desirable, Percy admired Annabeth for it. He was captivated by her, and she seemed to want to be his friend too._ _ _ _

____Over the years she grew out of that stubborn personality into… a marginally less stubborn one. She was fiercely loyal and intelligent. Percy couldn’t count the number of times she had stood up for him when people made fun of his dyslexia. She was prideful, loving, caring (if you were on her good side. If you were on her bad side…). Percy was a doofus who only got into college for swimming. How was he so lucky to have a friend like her?_ _ _ _

____The whole soulmark thing was a confusing, mind-addling dilemma, but Percy had decided to accept it as the mistake it was and appreciate Annabeth as a best friend. He wouldn’t want anybody else. Sure, he had Frank, Leo, Jason, Hazel - but no one truly compared to Annabeth. They just worked so well together. They had the exact same sense of humor, and that ability to make fun of each other (a lot) without hurting the other person, only out of love. Percy sometimes wondered if platonic soulmates existed, because he felt that maybe Annabeth was his._ _ _ _

____But no. Her mark was blue, and his was red, and so the universe must have made some giant clerical error._ _ _ _

____\--------_ _ _ _

____“Wait, so Frank, why the hell are you taking photography?” Jason came from around the counter and sat on the couch where Leo, Frank, and Percy already sat. Frank blushed and looked down._ _ _ _

____“I just wanted to try something new…” The words were little more than a mumble - they would be nearly indiscernible if the other boys hadn’t been listening in so closely._ _ _ _

____“Also,” Leo started, taking a chip from a bag he was holding. “Someone special is in that elective.” Leo suggestively waggled his eyebrows before tipping the rest of the bag of chips into his mouth._ _ _ _

____“And who might that be?” Percy said, playing along with Leo’s game, sarcastically pretending as if he didn’t know already._ _ _ _

____“One Hazel Levesque,” Leo answered. Jason stared off into the distance, and Percy could practically see the pieces in his brain putting themselves together._ _ _ _

____“Oh, I see,” Jason said. He smirked and stole Percy’s chips._ _ _ _

____“Shut up about that already,” Frank said, his blush fading into a disappointed expression. “She doesn’t like me.” Percy was pained by Frank’s crestfallen expression._ _ _ _

____“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Percy said, putting an arm around Frank and offering a chip. Percy thought he saw hope flicker across Frank’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come._ _ _ _

____They were in Frank and Leo’s apartment, sitting in various places on the sofa and munching on potato chips. It was a relatively small apartment, reflective of Frank and Leo’s majors (zoology and engineering, respectively), with not much furniture and a bunk bed for the boys to share, but it worked well enough. Frank had his desk and Leo had gotten himself an expansive worktable where he stood for hours each day, tinkering with different inventions and sketching designs. Percy loved seeing Frank and Leo’s friendship grow so strong. They initially hadn’t liked each other, since their personalities were wildly different, but being friends with Percy brought them together, and they decided to room with each other once they found out they were going to the same college._ _ _ _

____They’d swung by Cafe Demeter beforehand since the little coffee shop was only a block away from the apartment. Leo said that the length of the walk to Cafe was a crucial component when choosing the apartment, since “Bad Boy Supreme’s gotta have his caffeine,” and Frank didn’t complain since Hazel worked there. Percy could often spot him waiting to order until she was the barista at the counter._ _ _ _

____The Frank/Leo apartment became a regular hangout spot for the boys of the “gang,” and since Annabeth had classes throughout the afternoon, Percy felt compelled to spend some time with his friends. The amount of work he had to do was starting to overwhelm him, and Percy’s dreadful time management skills did not do much to help. He hadn’t had an opportunity to really hang out with them since the semester had started, and had been itching to ever since the first day of school._ _ _ _

____“Besides, photography is fun.” Frank’s response pulled Percy back to reality. Jason, Leo, and Percy all stared at Frank incredulously. Then he lightly shook his head, accepting his defeat and conceding._ _ _ _

____“I’m taking design, but what are your electives, Percy and Leo?” Jason asked._ _ _ _

____Leo answered first. He looked pained as he said, “Gardening.”_ _ _ _

____The other guys burst out into laughter. Leo glared at them._ _ _ _

____“Dude, is that even a real elective?” Percy asked. He could hear Frank snort from behind him._ _ _ _

____“Apparently.” Leo took a long swig from his can of soda, looking like he wondered if he could get drunk off a Fanta. “Calypso wants me to take it. She’s super into gardening and plants and stuff, and I know nothing, so I thought I could learn it for her.”_ _ _ _

____“This Calypso again,” Jason said._ _ _ _

____“Leo’s mysterious girlfriend who we’ve never actually met,” Percy added. “She lives in Indiana, has “caramel-colored hair,” apparently-”_ _ _ _

____“It looks identical to a Werther’s Original candy, I kid you not,” Leo said._ _ _ _

____“-and she’s homeschooled, which conveniently makes her impossible to find on any school records,” Percy finished._ _ _ _

____“I, for one, still don’t think she’s real,” Frank interjected._ _ _ _

____“I swear she is!” Leo looked annoyed, and Percy suppressed another bout of laughter. “Do you guys really think I would be taking _gardening _as my elective if I had just made her up?”___ _ _ _

______“I don’t know, man, sometimes you can go pretty far to keep up a joke or prank,” Jason said._ _ _ _ _ _

______“But this is 8 weeks and 16 classes of my life I will never get back. I wouldn’t just do that for some fake girlfriend!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Okay, Valdez, we believe you,” Jason said, giving a look to Percy and Frank that very plainly said the opposite. “Anyway, Percy, what are you taking?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Art,” Percy began. “They don’t offer it as a regular class, since it’s not an art school, but you can still take it as an elective.” Percy had enjoyed his two art classes so far. He was never talented at drawing or painting of any kind, but the art teacher was friendly enough and seemed to understand that not all college students are artistic prodigies._ _ _ _ _ _

______“That should be interesting,” Frank said._ _ _ _ _ _

______Leo snorted. “Really? Frank, have you ever seen Percy draw something?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey,” Percy said, punching Leo lightly in the arm, grinning. “I’m improving.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, you were pretty much at rock bottom, so I don't see how you could go anywhere other than up.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Shut up, Valdez,” Percy responded, grin still strong as he took another sip of his soda. He was improving, though, and slowly his drawings were starting to look like, well, drawings. There was also this one girl who sat in front of the class, with flaming red ringlets of hair, and her drawings were some of the best Percy had ever seen. He would just stare at her throughout class as she sketched, making seemingly random lines and shapes before it came together as something beautiful. Percy had only actually seen her face once, but she had striking green eyes and a fierce expression. His thoughts often drifted to her - more than he’d like to admit._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Earth to Percy!” Leo called, waving his hands in front of Percy’s face. He shook his head again and shot back to the present._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Sorry, what?” Percy asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What were you thinking about?” Jason asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nothing,” Percy tried to say nonchalantly, but a flush crept up his neck. The other boys exchanged half-suspicious, half-confused glances with each other before Frank suggested they play some video games._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m gonna kick your ass so hard, Grace,” Leo said to Jason._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We’ll see about that,” Jason replied._ _ _ _ _ _

______Two hours (and many arguments between Leo and Jason) later, Percy set off for home._ _ _ _ _ _

______Home. With Annabeth. Even as Percy shivered in the October air, he smiled._ _ _ _ _ _


	3. piper steals chinese food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A / N: hi everyone! sorry for the late update. with the election and everything, things have just been super hectic. but now that biden has won, i can actually focus on things! yay! this is the last kinda boring chapter, next chapter things will get a bit ~spicy~ hehe. 
> 
> disclaimers: I know nothing about architecture and architecture majors! I am not a college student, much less an architecture student, so please bear with me. also i don't really know how teacher's assistants work and i outlined this plot line without researching it so I'm sorry. also clarisse is not supposed to be an accurate characterization, i just decided to use her name for the sake of the plot. 
> 
> enjoy! - margot

"Remember, I need those sketches by next class, so get cracking!" Ms. Greenwood, the physics professor, said from where she stood next to the whiteboard at the front of the class. Annabeth loosed a sigh, finally closing her notebook, which was littered with little drawings, complaints (to no one in particular), and lots and lots of notes. So many. Annabeth shook her wrist, willing the sore ache that was already beginning to hurt to go away. She preferred to write her notes in longhand since the act of physically writing with a pencil cemented the information deeper in her brain, but it was not good for lectures like the one she'd just had, where the professor talked and talked and talked, and their only instruction was to take notes.

She smoothed her sweater out, rubbing her shoulders. She was glad she'd worn a thick, cable-knit sweater that day since apparently, her school had decided that the air conditioning should stay on throughout October. Her jeans didn't help much, but it was better than the skirts she'd worn in September. She stacked her books and notebooks on top of each other before shutting her laptop and sliding her belongings into her backpack. She picked up the bag and sighed. It was so heavy. Her back would pay.

Annabeth looked up at the professor and saw the last thing she wanted to see. Clarisse La Rue, chatting with Ms. Greenwood like they were old friends. The professor laughed at one of Clarisse's comments and Annabeth filled with rage. Annabeth knew that Ms. Greenwood was searching for a new TA, and, of course, Annabeth wanted to take that coveted spot. Annabeth was skilled at physics - it was one of her qualities that helped make her such a terrific architect. But Clarisse was as well, and there was only one TA spot.

Annabeth was not the type to suck up to a teacher, but she may have been working on an extra design to show the professor. It wasn't the most effort she'd ever put into anything, but she hoped it would be enough to sway Ms. Greenwood's opinion. It was taking up a surprising amount of her time, though, enough so that she had lost even more sleep to work on it, and Percy seemed concerned. She was so glad she'd invested in a coffee maker in her freshman year, what with the amount of caffeine she consumed daily.

Annabeth slung her backpack over her shoulder (ouch) and walked towards the door. As she was walking out, she caught a shred of Clarisse and Ms. Greenwood's conversation. "Looking for a new teacher's assistant..." Ms. Greenwood was saying, and Annabeth's blood boiled. Sometimes she wondered why she didn't have an enemies mark for Clarisse, but she supposed they hadn't exactly had a bad encounter yet - enemies marks only appear after a bad encounter.

She didn't hear any more of the conversation, since she turned to the door, but something caught her eye. There was a guy at the back of the class, sitting intently and flipping through a thick notebook, running his eyes over the notes. He had short, sandy blond hair and deep blue eyes. For a moment, his eyes flicked up to Annabeth's, and he flushed, returning to the notes.

Annabeth recognized him; he would often look at her during class. She had always been a bit flattered, as you are when a cute boy stares at you during physics lectures, but her thoughts had always been too preoccupied with Percy to think about anyone else. Not that he was someone she was considering. Definitely not. Just a handsome guy who stared at her during class.

She didn't recognize him from any of her other architecture-related classes, so she assumed he was another major, engineering or mathematics, maybe. He also looked a few years older than her, so he was definitely not a junior. A very mature senior, or a grad student? Some grad students had to retake a class they failed in their undergraduate studies, so they would occasionally pop up in Annabeth's classes. In any case, he was cute, but Annabeth didn't expect it to go anywhere. She had too much love drama in her life anyway.

She sighed and left the lecture hall. She thought she'd make a quick stop by the library before going to Cafe Demeter for a cup of much-needed coffee.

The library was one of her favorite features about college - one of the reasons she'd chosen to go to that college. The school heavily advertised the library, as it was one of the more appealing features and was in its original condition, never having been renovated once in a century. Every time she walked inside, she felt as if she'd left the real world behind, and entered a land of stories and tales, fictional and non-fictional.

As she swung open a large metal door, the scent of old books and paper hit her. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the aroma for all it was worth. As a girl, she'd dreamed of having a library like this accessible to her, lofty and grand, volumes and novels reaching from floor to ceiling. The bookshelves and wooden floors were a rich mahogany. Excessively high ceilings created a dome above her. Light streamed in from multiple old, paneled windows, some of which were cracked open, letting a cool breeze waft into the space.

On that particular day, Annabeth was looking for a certain medieval architecture book, detailing some comparisons between Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals. Her architectural history professor had assigned a small response to a few questions about the styles, and while Annabeth could have looked up all she needed online, she liked the feeling of flipping through leather-bound pages and running her hands over illustrations. She knew the book she needed was in the library, and so why not check it out?

Having known the layout of the library by heart, Annabeth beelined for the architecture section and scoured the shelves, peering at faded labels and pulling books out. Finally, she identified the volume she was after and extracted it from the shelf, its weight resting heavily in her hand. She exhaled and tucked the book under her arm. She checked it out from a very disinterested freshman at the desk and started the walk to Cafe Demeter.

\--------

"Welcome back, Beth!" Grover said enthusiastically from behind the counter. Annabeth wondered why he seemed so cheery, but she supposed that was just Grover. She huffed in exasperation.

"Don't call me that," she warned, giving Grover a stern look.

"Okay, Annie." The glare intensified. "Just the usual today, then?"

"I'll have some milk in it this time." Grover raised his eyebrows and a voice came from behind Annabeth.

"Switching it up, then?" Annabeth just sighed and turned to look at her roommate. God, he looked handsome. Who knew that jeans and a sweater could look so good? Annabeth's heart skipped a beat, but she regained her composure.

"You have really got to stop sneaking up on me and judging my coffee order," Annabeth said, moving up the counter to pay.

"But it's becoming my signature move!" Percy said, nodding to Hazel as she started to make his coffee.

"Find a better one." Grover handed Annabeth a cup and she took a sip.

"Why so harsh, Wise Girl? I mean, you're always like this, but it's only 11 am, and that seems a bit early for destructive criticism."

"I don't know. I have a lot of shit to get done, but then again, I always have shit to get done. Nice use of "destructive," though."

"Thanks. I understand the attitude. My pile of work keeps getting higher and higher." Percy grabbed his cup from Hazel and smiled at her. That smile could melt Annabeth into a puddle. "Walk with me?" he asked. Annabeth nodded.

"Is the coach working you guys really hard?" Annabeth asked as they stepped outside. She took another sip of her coffee to combat the chill. Her boots hit the pavement in a satisfying rhythm, and Percy moved almost imperceptibly closer to her - she assumed it was from the cold. Still, the gesture warmed her more than her coffee had.

"The other guys are fine, she's just pushing me. A lot. And I guess I've let myself go a bit, I get winded after a few laps even. But I just... I don't want swimming to be my whole plan, you know? I like MB and psych, and I know I'm not that smart-"

"Don't say that. You might be a Seaweed Brain, but I'm the only one who's allowed to call you that. You're smart, you idiot. It just... might not be in a traditional way." Annabeth blushed. She had a hard time giving compliments. But it was the truth, and Percy needed to hear it.

She imagined it must have been difficult for Percy to be best friends with Annabeth, since she was the top of every class, and he well - wasn't. But he was still smart, he had an extraordinary way of interacting with people. He could make anyone's day better with a smile, and he got people to open up. He'd gotten Annabeth to open up.

Percy blushed faintly as well. "Thanks, Annabeth. I want to do something outside of the pool with my life."

"I know you can. I'm glad I found architecture - it feels like where I need to be."

"I hope so. You've had your heart set on becoming the world's greatest architect before we even got to 7th grade."

"What can I say, I know what I want." She said it with a heavier tone, realizing the double meaning. She could have architecture - she couldn't have Percy. She sighed at the thought, even though it was one she'd had countless times before. Percy looked at her with a confused expression. Annabeth just drank her coffee and pulled her scarf around her face tighter to hide her flush.

They walked in weighted silence for the rest of the walk home, and Annabeth looked over at Percy. She felt, yet again, grateful for her best friend. And she thought about their new situation.

(Gilmore Girls spoiler warning) Being a roommate with Percy was... difficult. In more ways than one. He wasn't the best at taking care of himself, and the apartment's mess had tripled since he arrived. He was a surprisingly good cook, though, and they had started watching Gilmore Girls together ("I don't care, I'm still Team Jess," Annabeth said. "But he left without even calling!" Percy protested. "And then he got better! He wrote a fucking book! Honestly, Rory got worse and Jess got better. He's too good for her now. And I still don't understand how you like Logan," Annabeth said. "He understands her on a deeper level, he understands this new version of Rory. But at least we can agree that Dean was bad news," Percy compromised.)

But the hardest part was the wanting. It ached deep within her. Annabeth knew she was in love with Percy before, but this was different. He was just so... Percy. He was so kind and smart and brave and... It hurt. It was actually painful. She wanted to hold him, kiss him, touch him. She wanted to be allowed to love him, and she wanted him to know it. The words always sat on the tip of her tongue. But then she would look at her left thigh, and her heart would drop. It amazed her how one set of initials could override the overwhelming need within her.

As much as it hurt, it was also really fun to be Percy's roommate. Her life was filled with more laughter and she smiled more. She looked forward to going home every night. Percy was genuinely funny - a skill she lacked, though he said she had her moments. It's difficult to be in love with your best friend, but it's a little less difficult if you're already used to being around them.

And so when she arrived back at the apartment, she sighed happily and smiled at Percy.

\--------

"Why do I even bother," Annabeth said as she set down her backpack and plopped on the couch. Her comment was directed towards a very guilty-looking Piper, who stood at the fridge eating leftover Chinese food.

"It's not my fault you have all the good food," Piper said, reluctantly setting down a pair of chopsticks and folding up a container.

"That chow mein is literally from the place right down the street from where you live." Annabeth stretched as she pulled off her jacket, folding it in half and setting it on the couch. She kicked off her shoes and rested her feet on the coffee table. "Do you even really live there?"

"Nah, not really," Piper said, moving over to the couch area. "Between your place and Jason's, what's the point?"

"Privacy," Annabeth said, shaking her hair out of a bun, the long strands falling across her face. "Privacy, and the integrity of my leftovers."

"I might legitimately move in with Jason." Piper looked off into space. Her multicolored eyes flickered, and Annabeth wondered for the hundredth time what color they were actually supposed to be. The gang had long-standing bets about what color her eyes were, since they appeared green, blue, brown, or even gold sometimes. Annabeth didn't think even Piper knew the answer.

"How's that going?" Annabeth asked. Piper's face lit up, and her eyes filled with excitement.

"How do you think? We've been dating for two years!" Piper said, feigning annoyance.

"Yes, but I think it's good to check in occasionally. You used to go through boyfriends pretty fast."

"I never actually cared about those guys. Jason... Well, I wouldn't have been with him for two years if I didn't care about him." Piper got that dreamy expression on her face, the one that always came over her if she started talking about Jason. It warmed Annabeth's heart to see her friend so happy. Piper had a difficult time sometimes, especially when at new schools - her father was the great Tristan McLean. She often attracted overzealous attention and Piper was generally a private person, so she didn't care for that. It made her popular with boys at school, though, and so Piper made it through countless dates in her time at high school.

Percy and Annabeth were practically screaming at Piper and Jason to get together once they met in college. Piper had an obvious attraction to him - even more than that, a genuine attraction. Annabeth knew that was rare. Percy had confided in Annabeth that Jason also liked Piper, and the rest is history.

"Maybe you should actually move in together. I mean, it would make sense. You've been together for a while." Annabeth's heart panged at unspoken words. Piper and Jason loved each other. As much as Annabeth was happy that her friend had found love, it hurt a bit to see what she would never have.

"I do think people look at us strangely, though," Piper started, looking a bit defeated. "You know, since we're not... soulmates." She huffed out the last word in a sigh.

It was a difficult topic, not one that Piper and Annabeth broached often. In the old days, there used to be laws on being romantically involved with someone other than your soulmate. Centuries ago, some countries even had the death penalty for it. Of course, those ridiculous laws had since been overturned, but dating someone other than your soulmate remained taboo, even with younger generations.

When a couple gets together, there's always the natural question asked: are they soulmates? Many couples who are soulmates like to shout it from the rooftops. Others keep quiet and only tell their close friends at first. But dating for two years, and no announcement of any kind? Almost certainly not soulmates. It was a sore spot for Piper, and Annabeth avoided mentioning it.

Deep down, Annabeth could tell Piper thought she most likely wasn't going to be with Jason forever. Most couples who meet college don't stay together for life - especially if they're not soulmates. But Annabeth had come to the conclusion that this was a good life experience for Piper. Or maybe that was just that small, evil part of Annabeth that wanted others to feel the pain and sorrow she felt every day, as she realized she could never have Percy.

Who knew, though. Maybe Piper and Jason would end up together in the end. Maybe they'd say "fuck the system" and get married. Piper deserved it, at least.

"The soulmate system is stupid," Annabeth said, voice lowering. "You fall in love with someone who's not your soulmate..." Her voice trailed off.

"How would you know so much about that, Wise Girl?" Piper dragged out the nickname, making her implication clear.

"Shut up, I don't like him." Annabeth tried to make it sound believable.

"Sure, sure." Piper nodded sarcastically. "It wouldn't work out anyway, I guess, because your mark is blue for him, right?"

Annabeth blinked, and her eyes filled with tears in an instant. God, she had to stop crying. She choked out a "yeah" and turned to her phone. She scrolled mindlessly through an app she didn't recognize, trying and failing to distract herself. She tilted her head back and the tears subsided. Piper looked at her concernedly but eventually shrugged.

"How is it to be his roommate?" Piper asked. Annabeth had recovered well enough to respond, she discovered happily.

"A bit weird, but we spent so much of our lives together, I dunno..." Annabeth began. "It just feels right." Piper smiled mischievously. "He's shit at cleaning, though."

"I expected nothing less," Piper said before getting up again and opening the fridge. She (you guessed it) grabbed the Chinese food and resumed eating. Annabeth didn't even attempt to stop her.

"It is strange sometimes, though," Annabeth started. "I can't walk around as freely as I want anymore. I can't watch architecture documentaries so much anymore."

"What a loss," Piper said sarcastically, a half-smile on her lips. "Percy, though, just him. How is he now that you're not kids anymore?"

"Weird. I still sometimes think of him as that dorky middle schooler who pushed Nancy Bobofit into a fountain."

"He pushed a girl into a fountain?" Piper asked incredulously.

"She kept throwing chunks of her sandwich at Grover's head." The memory surfaced in Annabeth's head, clear as a summer day. She smiled at the memory. Had she been in love with him even then?

"That doesn't seem dorky," Piper said confusedly. "He was standing up for Grover."

"Yes, but the thing is that everything Percy did back then was dorky, regardless of whatever he actually did."

"I don't doubt it," Piper said, laughing. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Piper started again. "How was your day?"

"Fairly crappy," Annabeth began. "Clarisse is really getting on my nerves."

"Clarisse?"

"La Rue. She's in my physics class with Ms. Greenwood."

"Isn't Greenwood looking for a teacher's assistant?" Piper frowned into her Chinese food container, shook it, and then reluctantly set her chopsticks down. She unfolded the container and put it in the recycling. Annabeth was always very strict about recycling. Piper had learned that the hard way.

"Yup. And Clarisse seems determined to take that position."

"Ouch."

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed. "Ouch."

"So what are you going to do?" Piper asked.

"I don't really know," Annabeth answered. "I'm working on an extra design, but it's probably not my best work. I still have some other ideas."

"I'm sure whatever you make will be great, Beth!" Piper called as she went down the hallway.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Annabeth called back. She groaned at the nickname. She zipped open her backpack and removed her laptop, ready to get to work.

\--------

Annabeth returned home and loosed a sigh, setting her keys down with a clink and kicking off her shoes. After a long, stressful day, she took in her beloved apartment. Sometimes she felt like she didn't appreciate it nearly enough.

Wooden floors covered the expanse of space, a thick grey carpet sprawled under the tan couch. The worn coffee table sat a few feet away from the edge of the sofa, and another chair curled around it. A small kitchenette lined the back wall, and a calendar was tacked to the fridge, events and assignments scribbled across its dates. Stools stood before a little counter that was littered with Annabeth and Percy's school books.

As she walked through the hallway, she heard something coming from the window to the fire escape. She leaned in to hear and her suspicions were confirmed. She smiled, knowing what was next. She walked to the fridge and pulled two cans of beer from the back shelf. She didn't drink often, but when she did, it was only with one person, on nights like this.

"Are we doing this?" she called out, voice directed to the fire escape.

A soft chuckle. "You know me too well," the voice answered, that voice she'd come to associate with home.

She pulled on a pair of slippers and a bulky sweater, preparing for the chill wind she knew was outside. Annabeth turned to where the window stood half-open before her. She pushed the edge up a bit more for better access and eased herself through the space. The air was bitingly cold, and she bundled her sweater up around herself. And sitting on the fire escape, was Percy.

"You didn't exactly try to hide it," Annabeth said as she held out one of the cans of beer. As his head turned to take it, the moonlight highlighted his profile. Annabeth's heart skipped pleasantly. "Across the Universe, huh?"

"Thought I'd go back to old times," Percy said. He cracked open the top of the can and took a sip. 

The Beatles' "Across the Universe" played quietly from where Percy's phone lay on the railing. It was one of Annabeth's favorites, and Percy knew it.

_Pools of sorrow, waves of joy_

_Are drifting through my opened mind_

In high school, Percy and Annabeth had formed their tradition of listening to the Beatles together. Percy's stepfather, Paul Blofis, kept many of his old records and LPs, and once Percy was gifted a record player for Christmas one year, he'd decided to try some of them out. Annabeth understood why people had loved the Beatles so much. She was never a big music person, and she still wasn't, but listening to the band with Percy became one of her favorite pastimes.

In college, the tradition had fizzled out as they spent less and less time with each other. Occasionally they'd still do it, but what had once been a daily habit turned into an infrequent occurrence. This is what they'd turned it into. Listening while drinking beer together at night, sitting on the old fire escape.

This took her right back to high school, those afternoons and nights laying on Percy's bed while the music overtook them. Annabeth sipped her beer, the taste pleasantly sharp and bitter, slightly fizzy. A rare treat. Alcohol was known to make Annabeth... do embarrassing things, to say the least.

"Nothing's gonna change my world," Percy sang, slightly out of tune. Annabeth laughed.

"Nothing's gonna change my world," she joined. Their singing faded out and Annabeth shook her head, smiling. They sat in amused silence.

"Thank you," Percy said quietly. "For letting me come stay here."

"It's been fun," Annabeth replied. The words rang true.

_Images of broken light_

_Which dance before me like a million eyes_

_They call me on and on across the universe_

As Annabeth put her feet up and hugged her knees, she looked across the city below. A black silhouette of a skyline, rich indigo painted against misty clouds. Bright white and yellow lights flickered to life in little apartments and cozy townhouses. The outline of two people danced in a window. The bustle of the streets and roads echoed the music.

Annabeth sighed and looked over at Percy. Her stormy grey eyes met his sea-green ones, and she was reminded once again of why she'd fallen in love with him. They stared out at the city and Annabeth sighed contentedly.

_Limitless, undying love_

_Which shines around me like a million suns_

_It calls me on and on across the universe_

And so, as they sat on that old fire escape, the stars a dotted blanket above them, music flowing in the night air, Annabeth forgot about everything except the man she loved beside her and wished to stay in this moment forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another a/n: the ending scene was originally inspired by sunmi's song, "secret tape/비밀 테이프" so go listen to that!


	4. knock knock. who's there? stress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a / n: hi everyone! it's margot again. i'm so sorry for the late update for this chapter, things have been hectic in my personal life. i'm about to go on break from school, though, so more chapters should be coming soon! i'm very excited to start writing the next few ones :)
> 
> if there are errors in this chapter i apologize! it's been a rushed process trying to write and get this out.
> 
> find me on twitter as @wisegirls_

To say Percy was a bit stressed would be an understatement. 

He felt in a constant state of hurry, always rushing from one thing to the other. His sleep schedule was nonexistent, and he had consumed more caffeine in the past week than he had in months. He was making good on his promise to put in more work for Coach, but the cost was starting to feel not worth it. 

He had two research essays, a slide presentation, three readings, and an oral report all due in the next week, along with various smaller assignments and longer-term projects. With classes and going to practice for 2-3 hours a day (more practice on the weekends as well), Percy’s time was quickly being filled. It didn’t help that he barely understood half his classes and was scraping along, grades dropping with each assignment he got back. 

Even his art elective was becoming stressful, although seeing the red-headed girl made him a little excited for class. 

His writing skills had… improved over the years. He used to be very disorganized. One of the things Percy had noticed about himself was that he sometimes had lots of good ideas, he just had no clue how to organize them so that they would make sense to anyone else. Annabeth had always been better at that sort of stuff - that’s why, in school, they always chose each other for group projects. Not only because they were best friends, but because they just worked well together.

But now they were in college, and Annabeth had her own classes and stress and major to deal with, and so Percy couldn’t rely on Annabeth every time he needed to write a conclusion to an essay, or an analysis of a text. 

And so Percy now lived in two constant modes: his body would either kick into autopilot and complete assignments rapid-fire, or he would become so worried and anxious that he couldn’t do anything, and would instead procrastinate, all the while becoming more anxious. It was a vicious cycle. 

Sometimes it felt like he was drowning.

He hadn’t taken a proper shower - other than showers at practice - in days, and his diet consisted of various caffeinated drinks, fast food, and cheap takeout. He hadn’t made any attempt to keep the apartment in order, and thankfully, Annabeth had seemed to pick up on his stress and kept the space tidy in his stead. 

Percy saw less and less of Annabeth as the work piled on, and it made him even more frustrated. At least before, after he was finished with a stressful day, he and Annabeth could watch an episode of Gilmore Girls together and discuss different plot points. He didn’t even have time for Rory and Lorelai anymore. And he loved hanging out with Annabeth. They were best friends, after all. Talking to her always brightened his day. 

Each time he saw her, she looked more and more concerned. She’d try to start conversations with him, talk about normal things, but after a few sentences, Percy would have to get going to his next thing. Some days he wouldn’t see her at all. But when he did, her brow would furrow, and she’d give Percy a once-over, taking in the unkempt hair and days-old wrinkled clothes. 

One time he’d emerged from his room at 3 am after finishing an essay draft, and she’d been sitting on the couch, typing away. Her head had turned as he entered the living room. He’d just stood there, the exhaustion slowly eating at him. Too tired to do anything anymore. 

She’d just put her laptop aside, stood up, walked over to him, and put her arms around him. He’d relaxed in her embrace, gripping her tightly, closing his eyes and inhaling the aroma of her lemon shampoo that she’d used since middle school. The lights were dimmed, and a rerun episode of Gilmore Girls played in the background. Percy could see Rory and Lorelai at the dance marathon in the background, talking to Kirk. It was enough to make Percy smile and laugh quietly. 

Annabeth had asked, “Are you good?”

“I don’t know,” Percy had replied, his voice little more than a whisper. “But I should sleep.”

“You really should, you idiot.” Percy had chuckled at that. 

“Yeah,” he’d agreed. He’d wormed out of her embrace. “Good night, Wise Girl.” 

“Goodnight.” 

He stopped for one last second to take in her scent again. The scent of home, where he’d always return to. 

He had rarely been more thankful for Annabeth than he had at that moment. 

He seldom had time to stop by Cafe Demeter anymore, but he found an opening in his schedule to get a cup of coffee and chat with Grover. He needed it - he needed to talk to a friend. A friend who he didn’t have a soulmark for. 

It was late October at that point, and discussions of Halloween were arising. Percy had no plans to do anything (except maybe drown himself in chocolate), but he was sure Piper and Leo, at least, would go as something strange and slightly inappropriate. They always did, and even though Percy hadn’t loved Halloween since he was a kid, it was always nice to see someone enjoying the holiday. One thing was for sure, though, and that was that it was getting colder and colder, and Percy’s sweaters were barely keeping him warm - he’d have to ask his mom to dig out his old winter coat soon and send it to him. 

It was raining, as it often did in October - Percy liked the rain, and it often helped him focus. However, it was not doing him any favors on this particular day. He had just barely managed to swipe an umbrella from the entryway as he left the apartment, and the thuds of raindrops made it too loud for him to think. It was pouring so hard that he could see the raindrops plummet to the earth in great sweeping waves. This was not the calm, slow drizzle he preferred for study days. 

Even in the rain, Cafe Demeter was stunning as always. Exquisitely carved pumpkins sat in front of the little shop, and gauzy faux cobwebs stretched across the windows and door. He swung open the door and noticed they had switched their usual bell sound to a witch’s cackle, and Percy let out a small yelp and jumped back. On each table was a small pumpkin painted with a spooky design and a purple candle, wax melting in the flames. The menu was etched in purple and orange chalk on the chalkboard behind the counter where Grover stood. Though he no longer particularly cared for the holiday, he admired Cafe Demeter’s new look. 

“Percy!” Grover said happily from behind the counter. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Hey, G-man,” Percy said, pushing unbrushed hair from his eyes and blinking again to keep himself awake. He closed his umbrella and shook the rain off a bit. “Things have been busy.” 

Grover’s eyes scanned Percy from top to bottom, taking in his appearance, and Grover’s smile melted. He sighed. “What will it be today?” 

“Give me the largest, most sugary, most caffeinated drink you have,” Percy said, walking up to the counter, still not fully conscious. 

“Rough week?” Grover asked. Percy felt a pang of anger and annoyance that he knew was unreasonable - of course it had been a rough week. 

“Yeah,” Percy said with an amused scoff. “You could say that.” The wind howled outside Cafe Demeter.

“What’s going on?” Grover said, turning to the back and grabbing various syrups. 

“I don’t know, it just feels like all the work is piling up all at once,” Percy said, leaning on the counter and rubbing his bleary eyes. “Remind me why I chose a major and a minor?”

“Because you like MB but you also love psych,” Grover said, turning on one of several coffee machines and pouring different ingredients into a blender. 

“Right, I like doing this stuff. Do I? It certainly doesn’t feel like it when I have about a million assignments.” Percy dropped his head in his arms. “I have two essays, like a gazillion readings, a presentation… I can’t even keep track of it anymore. Help meeeeee,” he groaned. 

Grover looked at Percy pityingly, deep in thought. Another flash of stressful surprise came over his face as he said, “Don’t you also have swim practice?” 

Percy groaned again. “Don’t remind me.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a huff. “Luckily today’s an off day, but I have, like, 3 hours of practice every day. And more on weekends.” Knowing how much he had to do and saying it out loud were two different things. The full weight of the amount of work he had to do hit him at that moment, and stressed, panicked tears pricked at his eyes. The kind of tears when everything is too much and your body has no choice other than to cry. He shook them off, though, and turned back to Grover, who was currently pouring some kind of coffee-concoction into the largest plastic cup Percy had ever seen. 

“Ouch. Is the actual homework okay, or is it really difficult?” Grover finished pouring and set the blender cup down, grabbing what looked like a whipped cream dispenser. Percy smiled a bit. Grover knew him too well. 

“I mean, it was fine at first, and you’re right, I do like MB and psych,” Percy said, sliding up the counter. “But now I’m in advanced classes, and I just… it’s all interesting, I just have trouble understanding a lot of it.” 

Grover looked deep in thought as he handed Percy a towering drink. About six different types of sugary syrups were visible, layered throughout the rich, blended coffee. The cup barely fit in Percy’s hand for how big it was. Percy breathed a happy sigh of relief and took a sip, wincing a bit from the sweetness. But after all the sugar passed, the coffee packed a punch, and Percy could feel the caffeine seeping into his bloodstream already. 

“Dude, you are my favorite person,” Percy said, taking another gulp. 

“I try,” Grover said, laughing. Percy took out his wallet and handed Grover a few bills. “Why don’t you ask Annabeth?”

“Ask Annabeth what?” Percy said, his mind elsewhere. 

“To tutor you, help you out a bit.” The register cha-chinged as Grover popped it out and shoved the money into the slots. The rain pounded on the windows, and Percy could see that the glass was streaked with drops. “Isn’t she really smart?”

Percy laughed harder than the question merited. “Uh, yeah,” Percy said. The image of a dumb Annabeth did not work in his brain. It simply didn’t compute. He kept laughing, the sleep deprivation getting to him. 

“Are you okay?” Grover asked half-jokingly.

“No, I’m so stressed,” Percy replied quickly. “Anyway, that’s actually a pretty good idea. Annabeth will probably be better at my major than I am.” 

“I’m sure she won’t,” Grover replied. Percy looked at him like, ‘are you sure about that?’ Grover chuckled. “Okay, maybe she will, but at least she can still help you.”

As if on cue, Annabeth entered the shop, looking at the door as it cackled like it had offended her. Her hood was soaked through and pulled over her honey-blonde hair, which she shook out once she was inside the store. She unwrapped herself from her beige coat and smoothed out her sweater. Percy had noticed that she’d been wearing more sweaters lately, and the way they fell over her curves… she looked good in sweaters, to say the least. 

She pointed at Percy with a half-joking, half annoyed expression. “You took my umbrella!”

“Is this not mine?” Percy asked amusedly, holding up the umbrella in question. 

“No! It’s mine,” Annabeth said exasperatedly. “I came home from class and was going to grab one before I headed to physics, but you took mine. You don’t even have your own umbrella,”

“I was pretty sure I did.”

“Look harder next time, Seaweed Brain!”

Percy thought he faintly heard Grover mutter something like “get a room” under his breath but chose to ignore it. Annabeth went to the counter to talk to Hazel, who was ready to take her order. 

“Just black today,” Annabeth said, pulling out her wallet. Percy opened his mouth to say something but she turned back, held up a finger, and said, “Don’t.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I told you to stop commenting on my coffee order.” 

“Done.”

Annabeth sighed and chuckled, giving Hazel a few bills and taking her cup of coffee. Percy saw the opportunity to ask her and took it. 

“So,” he started. “There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Hmm?” Annabeth made a noise of interest as she sipped from her coffee cup.

“I have a lot of homework and have been really stressed lately, especially with swim practice and everything,” Percy said. “You’ve probably noticed.

“Yeah,” Annabeth said. “I’m getting concerned about you.”

“Me too.” There was a beat of silence. “Anyway, I like most of the work I’m doing, I just can’t understand a lot of it.”

“Ok,” Annabeth agreed, following the conversation.

“And I was wondering if you’d help me? Like as an unofficial tutor, just to help me figure out some of the concepts. Also, you’re a way better writer than I am, and I have like two essays due next week.”

Annabeth looked to be in deep thought. He could see the hesitation and brief panic flicker across her face - why? Annabeth always liked doing schoolwork. Why was she panicking about this? She loosed a contemplative sigh. 

“Please, Annabeth?” Percy looked at her pleadingly. 

After a few moments more of hesitation, Annabeth gave in and said, “Fine.” 

“You seriously are the best.”

“I know. Now I have to get to physics, so leave me be.” She grabbed the umbrella from his hand and left the store, popping it open as she left the store. 

Percy thanked Grover and made to leave, all the while wondering why it was that Annabeth was so hesitant. He enjoyed being her roommate, he really did. And so why? Did she not like spending time with him anymore? Was he really that dumb that tutoring him would be unenjoyable?

\--------

“Okay, remember that you are focusing on the negative space, not the objects themselves.” The art teacher strolled around the sunlit studio, gesturing to the stools that the students were drawing. Today they were focusing on negative space as a way to not get caught up in details. Percy was struggling, to say the least.

He couldn’t draw the spaces between the stool’s legs to make them look like they surrounded an object, no matter how hard he tried. All the proportions were off, and… He erased the section he was working on for the third time.

He usually loved art class. The studio was spacious and beautiful, a good place to clear his head from stress. The birds would chirp faintly outside and the light streamed through high windows to shine on the work tables. 

But as the work got harder, art class no longer became the safe haven it used to be, and the only thing he looked forward to was seeing the red-haired girl in her usual place at the front of the class. He thought she looked at him more often - frequently he would look up to the front and see her pretty face staring back at him. 

He looked over and saw her - Rachel, he thought her name was - beckoning the teacher over to look at her drawing. The teacher had a pleased expression on her face and was discussing the piece with the girl. Percy caught a shred of their conversation. “...outstanding, as usual. You can either walk around and help other students or get started on next week’s assignment.” 

Percy's heart started. She could help him - God knew he needed the help. But also, that meant he could talk to her! Percy’s experience with girls in the past was extremely limited, him never having dated someone for longer than a week in high school. Still, he felt a strong urge to talk to her, get to know everything about her. 

Yet every time he thought about plucking up the courage to ask her to dinner, something strange happened. Annabeth would flicker in his mind, a twang of guilt in his stomach. He couldn’t pinpoint why it happened. Maybe it was an automatic reaction because he had Annabeth’s soulmark, but it was starting to annoy him. He didn’t like Annabeth like that. He should be allowed to think about other girls without feeling guilty, right?

As he had hoped, Rachel’s glance flickered in his direction. She smiled slightly and gathered up her papers, putting them in order neatly and handing them to the teacher. Then she walked around the work table, looking at the other students’ work, but never for more than a few seconds. She finally stopped once she got to Percy. 

She leaned down over his shoulder, and his heart quickened. “Having trouble?” 

“You could say that,” said Percy sheepishly, going to grab the eraser again. 

“I think you have the right idea generally,” Rachel started. “But you’re focusing too much on details.”

“I don’t follow. I thought art was supposed to be about the details?”

“Well, it is sometimes, but when you’re making a drawing like this, you need to first make a general sketch to help you set up your composition.”

“English, please.”

She chuckled, and the beautiful sound rang in Percy’s ears. He immediately wanted her to laugh again. “It’s really not that hard. You see how your lines are very bold and defined here?” She indicated towards a section of the paper where Percy had made some of the only marks he felt were actually good.

“Yeah. I like those ones.”

“And they’re good. But compared to the rest of the work you’ve done, they’re very… concrete.”

“Sorry?”

She chuckled again, and Percy smiled a little. “You’ve focused too much on those details without having a loose sketch drawn out first. If you have the general outline on paper when you start, then it’s easier to start adding details layer by layer.” 

She grabbed the eraser and some of her red hair fell against Percy’s skin. It was soft and cool to the touch. Percy wondered what it would feel like to run his hands through it.

She started to lightly erase the dark marks he’d made, lightening them in hue. Then she pointed towards the stools. “What shape do you see between those two legs?” Percy followed her gesture and peered at the stools. 

“A… rectangle.” He looked embarrassed at the simple answer he’d given. 

“But it’s a specific rectangle. Just start drawing it out loosely, like this.” She took hold of one of his lighter pencils and dragged it along the page, making marks here and there, creating a basic outline of what Percy could see was the shape between the two stools’ legs - but there was very little detail. The pieces started to click in Percy’s head.

“I think I’m beginning to understand what you’re getting at.” She turned her head and smiled at him, and the tenderness and amusement of the smile mixed with the boldness of her green eyes pleasantly confused him. She handed him the pencil, and her hand brushed against his skin, sending little jolts of electricity down his veins.

“Now you try it - see those two stools next to the ones I drew? Try that little space between there,” she said. 

Percy tentatively held the pencil, and then hesitantly put it down onto the paper, pulling it across to form a line. He began to create a loose shape, glancing back at the stools every other second to make sure his observations were being captured. Rachel stood behind him, intently watching him draw, her arms crossed victoriously. 

After a few minutes, Percy pulled the pencil back. It was simple, very simple, but it looked like what he was seeing, and a hint of pride filled him as he realized he had done what Rachel had demonstrated. He turned to look back at her, and she was smiling happily. 

“Nicely done, student,” she complimented. Her eyes flickered to the clock. “Class is nearly over.” 

Percy looked at the clock too, seeing that they had just under 3 minutes left in the hour-long period. How had the time gotten away from him? It felt like just a few minutes ago that he had stepped into the studio and anxiously began drawing. He looked back at Rachel, and the sharpness of her eyes once again startled him pleasantly. 

“Thanks for the help,” he said, putting all his gratitude into that one statement. 

“I like working with you,” she said. “And you actually have some potential. You just get caught up in the details too much.” Percy thought back to a red mark on his inner forearm. A detail that he got caught up in too often. He pushed the image of Annabeth from his mind and started to gather his papers. The other students in the room had begun to stand up and prepare to leave for their next classes. 

Percy noticed Rachel hadn’t left yet. She was still standing there, picking at a loose thread on her jeans. Percy looked down and noticed that the denim had been drawn on all over, each doodle more intricate than the last. Some sections had even been painted over, reds and golds swirling together to make rising flames, and icy blues creating the snow blanketing a tree. 

He stared, eyes transfixed on the decorated jeans. With a dark blouse, and the freckled pale of her skin, and the fiery locks that flowed from her head… Rachel was a sight to behold. And she was funny, too. His pulse quickened again in excitement at the thought of the two of them somewhere else, where it wasn’t art class, and he wasn’t stressed out of his mind. He once again thought of Annabeth and became more annoyed at his mind. He pushed it aside as he had before, and realized he had been staring for more than was normal.

“I get bored,” Rachel said, shaking Percy out of his impressed state.

“Huh?” Percy responded.

“The jeans. I always have too much time on my hands.” 

“Why aren’t you in an art school, may I ask?” Percy started and then regretted his phrasing. “I just mean, someone who seems to have a talent for this stuff should be actually studying it, right?”

“You make a good point. I thought about art school a lot, but ultimately decided against it so I could pursue other things.” Percy decided not to ask any further - maybe because the clock had just hit the turn of the hour, or maybe because he wanted to find out the longer answer to that question in a different setting. 

They stood there in silence for a few seconds, and Rachel’s eyes looked over Percy, taking him in. Something danced in her eyes, a flicker of hope or excitement. 

The silence should have been awkward; there should have been unresolved tension in the air - but there wasn’t. Percy felt completely natural. It was a calm and happy silence, just looking at each other and wondering what the other was thinking. Percy felt utterly at ease with Rachel. There wasn’t anything more he was trying to grasp at. No soulmarks flitting between planes of his mind. 

She extended a hand for him to shake. “I’m Rachel Elizabeth Dare,” she said. She pronounced each syllable of her full name clearly, like it was something to be proud of.

“I’m Percy Jackson,” Percy responded, clutching her hand in his own and shaking a few times. 

“Nice to meet you, Percy Jackson. Would you want to grab coffee sometime?”


	5. jealousy. fuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! happy holidays!
> 
> there will be a christmas chapter (ooh la la) but unfortunately because of the timeline of the story it will probably be released sometime in january or february. sorry! i tried to rework the timeline but ultimately it was too set in stone. 
> 
> please stay safe, have fun, and enjoy the holidays!
> 
> \- margot

Annabeth had just about had it.

Specifically, she had just about had it with Rachel Elizabeth-fucking-Dare, and her relationship with Percy. Percy hadn’t told Annabeth anything until one day she saw the two of them together at Cafe Demeter and he introduced her as his girlfriend. 

Annabeth had decided to stop by the Cafe on her way to class as she always did. When she opened the door, which was covered in mistletoe and wreaths and ribbons to celebrate Christmas, she had seen Percy lounging at a table, mug of coffee in hand. He was laughing and facing Annabeth’s opposite direction like he was talking to someone. Which he was.

When he turned to look at Annabeth, Rachel came into her view, all pretty and effortless with wild, vibrant curls, and sharp emerald eyes and impressively decorated jeans and… The jealousy felt like a hit to the stomach as if someone had punched her with unrequited love.

Rachel had said, “Hi! You must be Annabeth. Percy’s always talking about you.”

Annabeth had muttered a faint “yeah” and just as she was about to abort the situation and get the strongest cup of coffee she could, Percy turned to her and said, “This is Rachel Dare, my girlfriend.” 

Annabeth had done her best not to choke and tried to give a few greetings before saying goodbye to Percy, beginning to panic. She and Percy told each other everything; why hadn’t he trusted her with this? Were they growing apart? She stumbled out of Cafe and into class, running off adrenaline, her mind elsewhere. It had been hard to focus on classes that day. 

That had been a week ago. Now Annabeth was just exhausted from being jealous. She loathed being jealous. 

Her senses had kicked into overdrive. Annabeth always tended to get… mildly violent when she was upset. In later years of life, she had learned to control her temper a bit, but this was stretching her limit. 

She was sure Rachel was a great person - she actually did seem quite fun and interesting when she wasn’t wrapped around Percy. What Annabeth hated most was that she looked genuinely happy when she was with Percy. Percy’s smiles and laughs were happy, excited, curious about his new girlfriend. 

It looked easy, simple, fun. Annabeth not only envied Rachel, but she envied the lightness of their relationship. It was all too rare for something in Annabeth’s life to be easy, simple, or fun. 

And they worked well together. Annabeth could see the mutual interest, the chemistry between the two of them. Rachel had just enough sense to keep Percy in order, but she wasn’t too uptight that he was even more stressed than he already was. She was laidback and helpful, made sure Percy did what he needed to do. 

But the thing that really made Annabeth’s blood boil was a new mark she’d gotten - it had appeared with a tingle the first time she saw them kiss. An orange RD smack in the middle of her thigh, burning its letters into her skin, reminding her that she now had an enemies mark with a perfectly fine girl for a stupid reason. 

Why couldn’t her enemies mark be Clarisse? That would have made such sense. They were practically rivals in physics by now, and Annabeth did care about her academics more than practically anything else. But no. It had to be over a stupid boy. Annabeth was determined not to get caught up in a cheesy rom-com love triangle nonetheless. 

At night, she would cry sometimes. Not just out of jealousy, but disappointment and shame in herself. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, dampening her pillows and blurring her vision. Hugs and kisses shared between Percy and Rachel, replaying in her mind over and over again. A friendship mark forever blue. It was too much sometimes.

Percy was happy with Rachel. Annabeth should be happy, right? Didn’t she want Percy to be happy?

Besides, it wasn’t like she had a claim on Percy. She was his best friend, sure, but people can have girlfriends and best friends. She had no right to be feeling this way. The whole situation was yet another sickening, gut-punching reminder that she didn’t have a soulmark for Percy, and they would never be together.

Oh, God. What if Percy and Rachel had each others’ soulmarks?

\--------

“Annabeth, babes,” Piper said, sitting down on a seat next to Annabeth. “Can you believe Christmas is only like, a month and a half away?”

“No,” Annabeth said absentmindedly, thoughts elsewhere. 

“I sure as hell don’t believe in God,” Piper continued, “but Christmas is so fun. Literally just an excuse to spend excessive amounts of money. And eat.”

Annabeth picked at the mac and cheese before her. She was sitting in the mess hall; lots of large, round tables surrounded by cushy chairs. Hot and salad bars, a drink station. Large windows lined the space. Annabeth wouldn’t deny that the food was bad, either. It had just been a long day, and Annabeth’s appetite wasn’t there.

She started the day by oversleeping. She didn’t sleep too long to miss any classes, but she overslept just long enough to throw her off balance and put her on edge for the rest of the day like that little mistake could somehow mess up whatever came next. 

In her geometry class, the professor returned a quiz they had taken a week prior. She’d done slightly worse on that quiz than she thought she would. Not enough to lower her grade point average, but enough to make her doubt her skills a bit. The classroom had suddenly seemed too cold. Her legs had chilled beneath her skirt.

And now she was here, a ramekin of cheesy pasta going cold before her, too distracted and confused and stressed without a particular reason why. She couldn’t focus on what Piper was saying. She sipped her glass of water and her throat tightened as she swallowed. It was just a bad day, that was all. 

“Can you repeat that?” she said, turning to Piper.

“Are you okay, Annabeth? You seem… distracted.”

“Yeah,” Annabeth said. “Just a shitty day.”

“Well,” Piper began, “I’ve got no end of those.”

Annabeth chuckled a bit and smiled. She had just begun to reach for a book out of her bag when she saw two figures coming over to her table. Her heart jolted when she realized one was Percy, but her smile melted when she saw the other was Rachel.

The couple sat down across from Annabeth and Piper and jumped animatedly into the conversation. Annabeth heard bits and pieces. They were still discussing Christmas, Rachel complaining about how she was being dragged to some event for her father’s company, Percy gushing about his little sister and mom, Piper talking about the plans she’d made with Jason. Rachel also was pointing out that it was only November 9, and so shouldn’t the decorations at Cafe Demeter be themed for Thanksgiving? 

“Technically, yes, but Christmas decorations are way cuter,” Annabeth heard Piper argue.

Truth be told, Annabeth’s feelings towards Christmas were… mixed, to say the least. Of course, Christmas was fun. When she was young, she’d always enjoyed herself: decorating the tree with her father, watching Home Alone over and over again, baking cookies, and watching documentaries until the sun came up. But the core theme of Christmas was family, and her family was confusing.

Once her stepmother had come along, Christmas became less fun. She really did love Bobby and Matthew, and it was always fun to extend their precedented holiday traditions to include the two of them, but her stepmother was another story. She used Christmas as another excuse to ignore Annabeth and create her picture-perfect idealistic version of a family, leaving the rejected kid behind. 

She’d always secretly wanted to go to Percy’s house for Christmas, but ever since realizing her feelings for him, she’d been too afraid to ask.

And Rachel was right, it was still a while until Christmas, and so Annabeth really shouldn’t have been worrying about it yet, right? Still, the thought put her on edge again.

She didn’t see what happened had happened but all she knew was that one second Percy and Rachel were talking and the next they were kissing and it was all too much and her vision was blurring and the tears were coming and her breath was shortening and she was tugging on Piper’s arm and she was getting out of her chair and running towards the bathrooms and the tears were falling and she pushed open the door to the restroom and-

“Annabeth?” Piper’s voice was muffled beneath the incessant noise filling Annabeth’s head. “Annabeth?” she repeated, and her voice became slowly clearer.

Annabeth turned to look at Piper. She could barely make anything out between the tears, which were falling hot and fast down her cheeks. She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She could hardly recognize herself. 

It was all too cold, and she sat down on the tiled floor, hugging her knees close to her chest. She doubted she could explain to Piper what was happening through words, and so she soundlessly stretched out her legs and pulled her skirt up just far enough so that her soulmarks were visible.

Upon seeing her friendship mark for Percy, another wave of tears came, just as they were starting to dry on her cheeks, leaving streaks in their wake. She ran her fingers over the blue PJ and beckoned Piper to look at them.

Piper looked at the mark and then back at Annabeth, obviously puzzled. Annabeth just said through silent sobs, “Percy…” and looked back at Piper.

“What about him, Annabeth?” Piper’s eyes danced with concern, so full of care and worry for her best friend. 

“I…” Annabeth’s voice trailed off. The full weight of the day Annabeth’d had hit her as Piper realized her meaning. 

“Oh, honey,” Piper said, the realization in her eyes. Annabeth didn’t need to explain any further. Piper sat down beside Annabeth and wrapped her arms around her. Annabeth buried her face in Piper’s shoulder, silent sobs wracking her body. 

A million tiny things all added up for one big, crushing day. And so Annabeth let herself be wrapped in her friend’s warm embrace, and let herself cry. 

\--------

Later that day, Percy and Rachel had gone off to art class, and Piper decided to accompany Annabeth back to the apartment.

Once Annabeth had calmed down a bit, Piper left her in the restroom and went to go explain the situation to Percy and Rachel. She said Annabeth suddenly had started not feeling too well and was just overall really stressed. She reassured them that she had the situation under control and they were free to go to class.

In that bathroom, Annabeth stood up from the cold tile and examined her face in the mirror. Her skin was blotchy and streaked with tears. Her eyes remained a little puffy and red, but they mostly looked back to normal. Her hair had fallen out of where it was tied half-up, and only a few locks were still in the clip. She sighed as she let the rest of it down, running her hands through the light strands.

God, she was pathetic. Crying over some boy in a bathroom. She had things to do, a day to get on with. 

Just before she could truly throw herself a pity party, Piper came back into the bathroom. She leaned against the wall, hands behind her back. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“What is there to talk about?” Annabeth snapped back angrily. “He’s with her, and it’s all fine because we have friendship marks for each other.”

“Yeah, but,” Piper began, “the marks don’t have to dictate the choices you make. Look at me and Jason.”

“Yeah, well, maybe that would have worked before he went and got himself a beautiful, talented girlfriend.”

“That does complicate things a bit,” Piper admitted. Her gaze shifted to the floor, and she scrunched her eyebrows as if she was making a plan. “Maybe you should do the same thing.”

“What, like get a boyfriend?” Annabeth snorted at the ridiculous notion.

“Yeah!” Piper was becoming more excited by the second. “Maybe that’s just what you need to get over Percy. A little action, a little fun.” Annabeth doubted that Piper understood the extent of Annabeth’s feelings for Percy, but she appreciated her friend’s thoughtfulness all the same.

“Yeah,” Annabeth agreed. “Maybe.”

“Maybe.” Piper smiled.

\--------

“So,” Annabeth began, “what are we doing today?”

Percy sighed and rubbed his green eyes. He ruffled his black hair. The bags under his eyes had become more pronounced. “Statistics.”

Annabeth smiled a bit. “I’m good at statistics.”

“You’re good at everything,” Percy said. 

“Just a bit,” Annabeth said, suppressing a laugh. “But I know statistics.”

“Do you have to take it for architecture?”

“We did a review in my general math class last year,” Annabeth responded. “But honestly I just paid attention in high school.”

“Are you implying that I didn’t?”

“Would you argue with me?”

“Carry on.”

“I’m good with numbers. Don’t know much about psychology, though, so you’ll have to explain some of those concepts to me.”

“Luckily, I actually love psych, so it’s mostly the numbers I need help with.”

“That works for me.”

Percy laid a thick packet of paper in front of Annabeth where they were sitting at the kitchen counter. Annabeth was done with classes for the day, and Percy had training in a few hours, so they decided to use the time so that Annabeth could help Percy with his schoolwork, keeping true to their agreement.

To be honest, Annabeth had been hesitant about helping Percy. She helped him a lot in high school, but that was just what they’d always done. They were inseparable. 

And it wasn’t like Annabeth wasn’t able to help him. Of course she was. She could figure most things out - admittedly she wasn’t great at World Lit or English; even after battling her dyslexia for years, it was still terrible to read that tiny font in those old books. But she worried sometimes about staying too close to Percy. Especially now that he had a girlfriend.

She knew that if she got closer to Percy, she would only fall deeper in love with him. She’d had experience. Being Percy’s best friend was a blessing and a curse. Annabeth’s attempts to distance herself from him would not be helped by one-on-one tutoring sessions.

But again, she just couldn’t say no. She wanted to help him. She knew that she could. 

And goddamnit, she loved him. It had become a part of her, something natural. She couldn’t imagine her life without him, without loving him. 

Annabeth took the packet in her hands. “What have we here?” She rifled through the pages a few times. “Seems pretty standard, honestly. Shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“I’ll scoot closer to you,” said Percy, picking up his chair and bringing it closer to Annabeth’s. He peered over the worksheet, deep in thought. Annabeth looked up at his studious face and smiled. 

They worked like that, side by side, for a few hours. Annabeth explained all the basics of averaging data: means, modes, medians, and ranges. At some point, Percy took out a little notebook and wrote down the definition of each term.

“Your handwriting is atrocious,” Annabeth said.

“I have dyslexia,” Percy defended.

“I do too, but you don’t see me scribbling across the page. I can’t even read what that says.”

“Please,” Percy said sarcastically. “It clearly says ‘to find the range, subtract the lowest value from the highest.’”

“Not seeing it.”

“But does it matter if you can understand it? I understand it.”

Annabeth chuckled. “No, it’s perfectly fine. Though I pity your teachers when you turn in handwritten assignments.”

“Well, sucks to be them.”

“Truly.” Annabeth turned back to the paper. “So now we can start applying some of that knowledge to these actual graphs. This question wants you to find the mode of this graph.”

“It’s… C, right? 26?”

“Nice. Statistics actually isn’t all that bad.”

“No,” Percy agreed, “I guess it’s not.”

They moved through a few more questions about averaging, Percy calculating answers and analyzing graphs with no problem. 

It filled Annabeth’s heart with pride to see him learn something for himself. He actually needed very minimal help from Annabeth once he started understanding the basic concepts of what he was learning. 

He was also, at this moment, the picture of domestic handsomeness. Sweats, an oversized sweatshirt, messy hair falling over his eyes… it was all Annabeth could do not to just stare at him and focus on the work. 

And those eyes. She was still uncovering each complex layer of them, the different shades of green twisting in and out. She could probably stare into them for hours and still not be bored. She just wished she was afforded the luxury of being allowed to. 

It was only the ever-present bags under his eyes that made her stop and focus, bringing her back to the startling reality that Percy was overwhelmed and stressed to the brink. She was still concerned about him. He still wasn’t getting enough sleep. He was still drowning himself in coffee like it was water.

The only thing that seemed to be helping was Rachel. Rachel, all sweet and funny and helpful. And as much as Annabeth disliked her, she couldn’t help but be grateful. To see Percy less stressed, working through assignments more easily, even more confident in himself… Annabeth was so thankful for that.

It also seemed like the worst had passed. They were early into November now, and while assignments were still being piled up before the break, at least midterms were over. Annabeth knew that luckily, many of Percy’s midterms were either presentations or essays, and a few of his teachers had decided not to give them. They just gave more homework instead, which was a drag, but Annabeth had always known that Percy hated testing, and so it seemed like the best possible situation. 

Annabeth, on the other hand, had full-on midterm exams, and so she planned out study days and got her syllabus and took notes for hours… But what did she expect, becoming an architecture student? 

All Annabeth wanted was for Percy to be happy. And yet, the universe had decided that he couldn’t be happy with her.

\--------

Annabeth’s pencil clattered to the floor in the middle of the lecture hall, rattling against the ground and making several people look at her. She muttered a tired apology and picked up her writing utensil, going back to furiously scribbling notes in her notebook. She honestly couldn’t blame Percy anymore, her handwriting was getting worse and worse.

Today’s physics lecture was fairly interesting, and Annabeth was clinging to each word Ms. Greenwood was saying. She copied down all the diagrams, wrote down every word she could catch until her wrist ached. But it was worth it.

She looked a bit farther ahead and saw Clarisse doing the same, writing away, stopping occasionally to look up at their professor. Annabeth clenched her teeth and went back to her notes, trying to ignore Clarisse. 

She really did wish that her enemies mark was for Clarisse. She genuinely disliked Clarisse, with her snobby attitude and kiss-ass behavior. Annabeth actually didn’t mind Rachel - it was only her relationship with Percy that bothered Annabeth. And once again, Annabeth did not think that her enemies mark should be over a boy. She had more important things to worry about than romance.

“Now, can anyone remind us of Newton’s second law of motion?” Ms. Greenwood asked, forcing Annabeth to focus up. Clarisse’s hand shot into the air only just before Annabeth raised hers. She noticed her thumb had worn a hole through the sleeve of her cardigan. “Yes, Ms. La Rue?”

“Newton's second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly related to the net force and inversely related to its mass.” Clarisse wore a smug smile. “And acceleration depends on force and mass.”

“Very good, Ms. La Rue.”

“May I add, Professor, that you are doing an excellent job teaching today’s lesson? I am absorbing the material very well,” Clarisse continued, flashing Ms. Greenwood a smile.

“Well, thank you, Ms. La Rue. It’s always a pleasure teaching this class.” Ms. Greenwood gestured around the lecture hall to the many students seated in the rows of chairs and tables.

Annabeth scoffed inwardly at Clarisse. What did she think she was playing at? The artificial genuity in Clarisse’s answer made Annabeth cringe, and she pulled her sweater more closely around herself.

Annabeth glanced into her bag seated on the ground next to her desk. She could just barely see the edge of the rolled-up blueprint she had finished a few days earlier. She had planned to give it to her professor at the end of the day’s class.

But would it beat out whatever Clarisse had to offer? It was good work, no doubt, but Annabeth hadn’t thought particularly outside the box, and though some of her ideas were interesting, it was nothing Ms. Greenwood wouldn’t have seen before. Yes, it should be more advanced, Annabeth decided.

Annabeth sighed in disappointment in herself. She rested her chin on her hand, giving herself a break from taking notes. She decided that she could ignore the lecture for long enough to come up with an idea to modify her design. Rifling through the file cabinets of her brain, she remembered something.

An old sketchbook she’d drawn in during high school. She’d been at the height of her ancient architecture obsession and had been greatly inspired by Ancient Greek and Roman structures. She remembered that many of the sketches in that sketchbook, while perhaps not very good, had many ideas that were different and could be very impressive if executed carefully.

With the idea still fresh in her mind, she grabbed a pen from her pencil case and hastily scribbled on the back of her hand, “get HS sketchbook for Greenwood proj.” Annabeth had always written down important notes on the back of her hand or her arm. Percy had been worried about the ink seeping through her skin and being possibly harmful, but she’d never heeded his advice and had continued with her (possibly) damaging habits.

Satisfied with herself and in her plan, Annabeth directed her attention back to Ms. Greenwood and the day’s physics lecture. She sighed and went back to her notebook, drawing another bullet point at the start of the page.

After some time had passed, Annabeth glanced at the clock in the corner of the room. The class was almost over, barely five minutes left. As her gaze shifted, it caught on the blond guy who was once again sitting at the back of the lecture hall. Ah yes, the ever-elusive “surfer dude,” as Piper had dubbed him. 

“He is not a surfer dude,” Annabeth had argued after describing him to Piper.

“He totally is,” Piper had responded. “I mean, sandy blond hair? Blue eyes? Automatic surfer guy.” Annabeth had just rolled her eyes.

But now, as Annabeth watched him diligently taking notes, a sweatshirt thrown over a t-shirt that was peeking out of the collar, Annabeth forgot about the surfer analogy. She could only think that, actually, he was more than cute. He was quite handsome. And smart. You didn’t stay long in Ms. Greenwood’s class if you couldn’t get through some difficult discussions. 

Annabeth thought of Piper’s advice the other day: “Maybe you could do the same thing.” Then, it had seemed impossible and ridiculous. Annabeth knew that she was still too caught up on Percy to date anyone for a while. But now… Annabeth wondered if maybe Piper was right.

It made sense. It was a classic tactic: get over your unrequited love by spending time with someone new. And maybe it was what Annabeth needed; after all, it had been five years since she’d realized she was in love with Percy. Five years and nothing. And with Rachel, Annabeth doubted anything could happen between the two of them.

She glanced up at the clock once again. Three minutes. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. She grew antsy in her seat, waiting for the seconds to tick by on the small clock. 

At last, Ms. Greenwood dismissed them, and Annabeth hurried to gather up her books and shove them into her backpack. She gathered her pencils and threw the case on top of her laptop, pushing her water bottle in beside the supplies. She pulled her coat over herself and slung the bag over her shoulder.

She took a deep breath. She could do this. Annabeth had never really imagined herself being the one to take initiative at the start of the relationship, but she supposed she had little choice in this matter and summoned her courage nonetheless. She started making her way towards the back of the classroom where the guy was still gathering up and packing his things. 

She finally strode up to his desk and stood behind him. He didn’t notice her at first, but when he did, he looked down at her with inquisitive eyes. He was rather tall. Annabeth craned her neck looking at him for such a long, awkward amount of time.

“Can I… help you?” he asked tentatively, yet Annabeth could’ve sworn she saw excitement flicker in his eyes. 

“I’m Annabeth,” she said quickly. “Annabeth Chase.”

“Okay.” He tapped a finger against his chin. “I’m Luke Castellan.”

Now that Annabeth was closer, she could examine him in more detail. His eyes were a deeper blue than she’d originally thought, more complex. He had a small scar running across his face - not deep enough to be concerning, but noticeable. His angled face and sharp nose made for attractive features. Annabeth didn’t regret what she was planning next.

“So, you’re in Greenwood’s class, huh?” Luke continued. 

“Yeah. I’m trying to get the TA position, but I think Clarisse might take it from me.”

“Clarisse?” Luke asked. Annabeth pointed to Clarisse just as she was leaving the classroom. “Oh, her,” Luke said. 

“Yeah. Her.” The silence that hung between the two of them was ever so slightly awkward. Annabeth decided to take the plunge. “Anyway, I was thinking,” she started.

Luke perked up in interest. “Yeah?”

“I was thinking we could maybe have dinner sometime?” The words left Annabeth in a rush until she felt like she was gasping for air. She hesitantly looked back at Luke, nervous to see his expression. But he was only smiling. 

“I’d like that.”


End file.
